Chemnitz Zoo: Taiga the tigress has died
Last week, the Siberian tiger cat Taiga had to be put to sleep. She had had a swelling on her face for some time, which could not be controlled with medication. A detailed examination was therefore carried out under anaesthetic, during which tissue samples were also taken. Unfortunately, these confirmed the suspicion that it was a carcinoma of the oral cavity. There was no treatment option for this malignant and aggressively growing tumour, which had spread invasively into the jawbone and nasal cavity. Renal insufficiency was also diagnosed, which is a common diagnosis in old cats. Due to her deteriorating general condition, the animal was euthanised.
Taiga was almost 19 years old, a very old age for a big cat. She was born in Moscow Zoo in 1997 and transferred to Leipzig Zoo a year later. From there she came to Chemnitz Zoo in 2010. The zoo currently keeps another Siberian tiger, the tomcat Jantar, who is already elderly. Taiga's death was reported to the European and International Stud Books. Tiger husbandry has a long tradition at Chemnitz Zoo and is to be continued.
The Siberian tiger, also known as the Amur tiger, is the largest living cat species in the world. The species was almost wiped out by poaching, but could be saved by conservation measures. It is estimated that there are around 500 tigers living in the wild in Russia and the species is categorised as "critically endangered".
Opening hours of the zoo in October:
9am to 5pm, last admission 4pm
www.tierpark-chemnitz.de