This week, Adelaide Zoo’s veterinary team performed a general health check on 18-year-old Sumatran Tiger Tuan.
Life expectancy for Sumatran Tigers in zoos is about 20 years, so it is important for our veterinary team to perform regular age-related health assessments to make sure Tuan is in good shape.
Adelaide Zoo Senior Veterinarian, Dr Ian Smith said the veterinary team gave him a general health check and examined his overall body condition.
“We examined Tuan from teeth to claws, and performed x-rays, an ultrasound and took blood to ensure he’s in good shape for his age,” Ian said.
“We were specifically looking at his claws because we suspected they had started to grow into his pad, which is not uncommon in older tigers.
Tuan’s keepers were pleased to discover he is in good shape for his age and took extra special care of our golden boy this afternoon as he recovered from the general anaesthetic
One of three critically endangered Sumatran Tigers living at Adelaide Zoo, Tuan was born in March 1998 at Lisbon Zoo in Portugal and arrived at Adelaide Zoo in November 2006.
One hundred years ago, it was estimated there were approximately 100,000 wild Sumatran Tigers – today the number is thought to be as few as 400.
The wild population is rapidly decreasing due to habitat destruction to make way for unsustainable palm oil plantations and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade.
