We are sad to report that Zoo Atlanta recently announced the passing of their adored Sumatran tiger, Chelsea. Chelsea has passed away at the age of 20, after fighting several chronic health conditions, including kidney disease.
The Zoo announced on their instagram yesterday:
“The Veterinary and Animal Care Teams had been monitoring and treating the geriatric tigress for chronic health conditions, particularly kidney disease. As there was not a path to recovery for Chelsea, the teams made the difficult decision to euthanize her today.”
Of course the whole community is saddened by this devastating loss, especially so soon after another tragic loss at Zoo Atlanta: Ruby the Red Panda.
Sam Rivera, DVM, Vice President of Animal Health said in the statement, “This is a devastating loss for Chelsea’s care team and for Zoo Atlanta. Chelsea was a magnificent cat with a tremendous legacy here at the Zoo… While decisions like these are always heartbreaking and are never easy, our teams had reached a point where we knew that this was the most responsible and compassionate decision for Chelsea.”
How long do Sumatran tigers live in the wild?
The Zoo says that Sumatran tigers, “which tend to have a lifespan of 10 to 12 years in the wild, are considered geriatric in zoological settings after the age of about 15.”
Chelsea, being almost 21 years old, lived well beyond the typical lifespan of other Sumatran tigers.
Sumatran Tigers
Zoo Atlanta also wrote in their post, “The Sumatran tiger is one of the world’s rarest tiger subspecies. Listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Sumatran tigers are believed to number fewer than 400 in the wild on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.”
There is a younger male Sumatran tiger still living at Zoo Atlanta, but because the species is a solitary one, the two tigers did not live together in the same enclosure.
We send our thoughts to Chelsea’s care team and all of the Zoo Atlanta community saddened by the loss of this incredible animal.