Adelaide Zoo’s tiger Tuan, the oldest male in Australia, died this week

ADELAIDE Zoo is in mourning for the sixth time this year after male Sumatran tiger Tuan died.

Tuan the Sumatran tiger died at Adelaide Zoo on Thursday.

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A MUCH-loved member of the Adelaide Zoo family and the oldest male Sumatran Tiger in Australia died on Thursday.

Zoo keepers made the difficult decision to put Tuan, aged 19, to sleep as he had a number of age-related conditions which were affecting his quality of life.

Zoos SA senior vet Dr Ian Smith said Tuan had been suffering from arthritis and kidney issues which the veterinary team had been monitoring and treating, but over the past week his health seriously deteriorated.

Tuan lived to 19, well above the expected 12 in the wild and almost the 20 expected in captivity.

“Tuan had lost interest in food and water, indicating he was very unwell,” he said.

“The veterinary team decided there was no additional medical treatment that would have improved Tuan’s quality of life and the decision was made to humanely euthanise him.

“Although this is a sad loss for the zoo family, it was the best thing to do for Tuan.

“The average life expectancy for Sumatran Tigers in the wild is about 12 years and in captivity about 20 years, so 19 is a really good age for Tuan to have reached.”

Tuan was born on 12 March 1998 in Lisbon Zoo, Portugal, arriving at Adelaide Zoo in November 2006.

Currently, Adelaide Zoo has only one other Sumatran Tiger, Assiqua, a female.

The zoo is now working to bring other tigers to the zoo, from Australia and New Zealand, with the hope of breeding tigers as part of the vital breeding program securing a future for this critically endangered species.

Wild tiger populations are at an all-time low, with fewer than 400 Sumatran Tigers estimated to be left in the wild.

Tuan’s death comes as Adelaide Zoo has already farewelled some of its oldest and most popular animals this year.

Adelaide Zoo’s beloved orang-utan Karta died hours after giving birth to a stillborn baby in January. Picture: Dylan Coker

In January, 34-year-old orang-utan Karta died hours after giving birth to a stillborn baby.

In June, Australia’s oldest Sumatran tiger, Kemiri, died at the zoo, aged 22, and in the same month, Australia’s only sloth, Miss C, died aged 43.

Nile hippopotamus Suzie and partner Brutus at the Adelaide Zoo. Suzie died in July.

Susie the hippopotamus died in July and lioness Yizi, aged 16, died tragically during a routine check-up in September after undergoing a medical procedure to investigate why she was growing a mane.