Cila, an 18 1/2 year old Amur Tiger who resided at Utah's Hogle Zoo, died on Wednesday. She had been at the Hogle Zoo since 2015. Photo credit: Hogle Zoo
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s Hogle Zoo announced Wednesday that it’s Amur Tiger, Cila has passed away. She was 18 and half years old at the time of her death. and had surpassed the life expectancy of an Amur Tiger in captivity, by three and a half years.
“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 at Hogle Zoo .
“We care for animals at every stage in life, and remain consistent throughout.”
“After Cila’s health began to quickly diminish, the animal care team, veterinary staff and zoo management decided it was time to say, “good-bye.”
The tiger was born April 17, 2003. In 2015, she was transferred to Hogle Zoo from the Indianapolis Zoo.
Zoo officials said Cila was a favorite amongst the Asian Highlands keepers at Hogle Zoo. “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,” said Melanie Kuse, Animal Care Supervisor at Asian Highlands.
The Amur Tiger, or Siberian tiger as it was formerly known, is native to portions of Russia and China with habitat found along the Amur River. The species, one of the largest cats in the world, is considered endangered with a population ranging from 500 to 550.
Poaching and habitat destruction are considered contributing factors to the animal’s endangered status. The better news is that, according to Wildcats Conservation Alliance the population has grown significantly since the 1940s when fewer than 50 remained in the wild.
