SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 20, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah’s Hogle Zoo has announced the passing of its senior Amur tiger, Cila.
“It is with great sadness we share the passing of our senior and regal resident Amur tiger, Cila,” said a news release from the zoo. “With a life expectancy in the wild of approximately 10 to 15 years, Cila, at 18-and-a-half years of age, was beloved by the community, zoo staff and guests alike.”
Despite her focused geriatric care, Cila had a rapid decline in her health, the news release said.
“We celebrate when animals are born, we maintain that celebration throughout the rest of their life, even in their twilight years,” said Bob Cisneros, associate director of animal care. “We care for animals at every stage in life, and remain consistent throughout.”
Born April 17, 2003, Cila arrived from Indianapolis Zoo in 2015. According to Melanie Kuse, animal care supervisor at Asian Highlands: “Cila was a favorite amongst the Asian Highlands keepers. In her old age, she demanded a lot more attention than some of the younger cats, so we spent a lot of time in the day making sure she was carefully observed and attended to. The Asian Highlands area is sadly a bit quieter without Cila’s typical calls and vocalizations, and there is a tiger size hole in our hearts. Cila will be terribly missed.”
The Amur tiger, also known as the Siberian tiger, occupies parts of Russia, China and possibly North Korea along the Amur River.
“Considered to be a critically endangered species with an estimated 500-550 Amur tigers left in the wild, conservation efforts and awareness campaigns rally to bring population back to sustainable levels,” the news release said. “The threat of poaching and habitat loss due to illegal deforestation severely impacts the Amur tiger. The Forest Stewardship Council is one group that works to ensure they harvest wood in the best way possible so that tigers and other forest dwellers all over the world can continue to thrive.”
