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17-year-old Franklin Park Zoo tiger dies of kidney failure
The "irreversible" disease is not uncommon in geriatric cats, the zoo said.
The Franklin Park Zoo’s last remaining tiger died Monday of an “irreversible condition,” officials said.
17-year-old Anala was diagnosed with kidney failure in October, which is not uncommon for a geriatric cat, Zoo New England said in a statement. In recent days, the tiger’s health declined and she was humanely euthanized for quality of life reasons.
“We all adored Anala, and are going to greatly miss her,” Chris Bartos, an Assistant Curator at the Franklin Park Zoo, said in a statement. “While this is sad news to share, we take comfort in knowing that Anala inspired and brought so much joy to so many of our visitors through the years.”
As cubs, Anala and another tiger were rescued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from a wildlife sanctuary that was attempting to illegally sell them. They were brought to the Franklin Park Zoo in 2006, the first time tigers were exhibited at the zoo in 30 years.
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“[Anala] lived at Franklin Park Zoo for most of her life, and had such an incredible presence,” John Linehan, Zoo New England President and CEO said in a statement. “In the many years that she lived here, her story helped us teach so many people about illegal wildlife trafficking, the human exploitation of tigers and the importance of protecting and preserving the incredible biodiversity on our planet.”
Zoo New England noted that its Tiger Tales habitat will remain empty for the foreseeable future.
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