Tiger at Calgary Zoo put down after developing serious health issues

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – The Calgary Zoo has made the decision to put down Katja, a 19-year-old tiger.

Zoo specialists say Katja was not herself lately–she was lethargic and losing her appetite.

“She was less enthusiastic about doing her training sessions–and this is a cat who loves doing her training with the keeper. She’s very responsive, she’s very intelligent,” said Dr. Sandie Black, head of vet services at the zoo.

“We had looked into getting a cat scan organized for her, knowing that as a geriatric cat we were on a bit of a fishing expedition for what might be a health issue for her. But her alertness really deteriorated [Monday], so we decided we needed to act.”

Black said everything happened very fast for Katja, but after a few tests, the zoo staff determined the tiger’s health would continue to deteriorate if she were to be kept alive. That’s when they made the tough decision to put Katja to sleep.

The Calgary Zoo says it has put down Katja the tiger who was suffering from a number of medical conditions including ovarian cancer. (CREDIT: @CalgaryZoo on Twitter)

 

A necropsy on the animal determined she developed ovarian cancer and had other serious health concerns.

Katja leaves a bit of a legacy at the zoo–Black says she was a feisty cat who captured the hearts of all the staff who worked with her.

“She’s the offspring of a tiger that came to us from the wilds in Russia. She had three cubs while she was here,” said Black. “She was a cat that really knew her own mind.”

Black says Katja was trained to do tasks that helped keepers care for her–like accepting a vaccine so that keepers don’t have to use a blow dart.

She’ll no doubt be missed by guests as well–Black says Katja was very engaged and often was the animal you may have seen during the keeper chats at the tiger enclosure.

-with files from Chris Bowen

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