GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A popular Michigan zoo announced the passing of one of its best-known tigers.
The John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids said it made the “very difficult” decision to humanely euthanize their 18-year-old Amur tiger, Nika.
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“In recent years, her caretakers began noticing changes in her movement. As with many of us as we age, Nika had developed arthritis. While treatments initially helped keep Nika comfortable, she showed signs of significant aging and decline in recent weeks. After a full examination by veterinary staff on June 8, the team evaluated her overall quality of life and made the difficult decision to euthanize Nika,” the zoo explained in a Facebook post.
Nika had been at the zoo since 2014, and was the first tiger to move into their new habitat. She was born at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo in 2005, and moved to the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing in 2009.
“Amur tigers are listed as Critically Endangered, with only a suspected 350-450 individuals remaining in the wild. Amur tigers have a life expectancy of 8-10 years in the wild. As female tigers have a life expectancy of about 14 years in AZA-accredited institutions, we feel incredibly lucky to have spent some of Nika’s 18 years with her. Nika served as a wonderful ambassador for her species, and she is going to be dearly missed by everyone who cared for her,” the zoo said.
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