Michigan zoo announces tiger euthanized due to health issues
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - An 18-year-old tiger at a Michigan zoo has been euthanized due to a decline in health, zoo officials announced.
The 18-year-old Amur tiger, Nika, was humanely euthanized after caretakers at John Ball Zoo evaluated her quality of life.
"As with many of us as we age, Nika had developed arthritis," said zoo officials. "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."
Nika was born at the Beardsley Zoo in Connecticut in 2005 and moved to the Potter Park Zoo in Lansing in 2009.
During her time at the Potter Park Zoo, she had four cubs as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Amur Tiger Species Survival Plan breeding program. Amur tigers are listed as critically endangered species, and according to the zoo, only 350 to 450 live in the wild.
Nike had been at John Ball Zoo since May 2014 and was the first tiger in the zoo's "Tigers of the Realm" exhibit when it first opened.
"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," said John Ball Zoo officials. "Nika served as a wonderful ambassador for her species, and she is going to be dearly missed by everyone who cared for her."