Sumatran tiger Jambi dies at Edinburgh Zoo
23 May 2019, 12:25
A tiger from a critically endangered subspecies that arrived at Edinburgh Zoo in 2015 has died.
Sumatran tiger Jambi was 16 years old, the oldest male of his kind known to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).
Jambi, who was born at Dudley Zoo in the West Midlands in 2002 before moving to Berlin, had been experiencing health issues due to his age.
According to Edinburgh Zoo's website, advice was given by the veterinary team that the tiger "should be put to sleep to ensure he did not suffer".
A tweet from the zoo confirmed the news, saying: "We are sad to announce the loss of our Sumatran tiger Jambi.
"At 16 years old, Jambi was the oldest male Sumatran tiger known to us and had been experiencing health issues related to his age.
"He will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with those who worked with him closely."
Jambi had also been described as "very popular with our staff, volunteers, members and visitors" by the zoo, which is still home to a female tiger called Dharma.
She was born in May 2017 and arrived from Fota Wildlife Park in Ireland last month.
It is estimated there are fewer than 400 Sumatran tigers left in the world, meaning they are on the IUCN Red List.
