Today, our oldest Sumatran Tiger, Kemiri, received a special health check.
Entering her golden years, Kemiri, a 21-year-old Sumatran tiger, was put under general anaesthetic at our Animal Health Centre today.
Life expectancy for Sumatran Tigers in the wild is about 12 years and in captivity about 20 years, so it was important that our veterinary team performed some age-related health assessments on her today.
Zoos SA Veterinarian Dave McLelland said the veterinary team checked her closely for age-related illnesses.
“During the health check, we took blood samples to check her organ function and performed some X-rays of her chest, abdomen, spine and joints.
“We looked at her mouth, looked at her claws which occasionally can start to grow into her pads when they start to get a little bit older, and we listened to her chest,” he said.
“She’s certainly getting to an age where we’re seeing her start to deteriorate slightly; there is some arthritic change and a few dental issues that we’ll keep an eye on.”
Kemiri, who will celebrate her 22nd birthday in November, is the oldest of three Sumatran tigers at Adelaide Zoo, and one of the oldest Sumatran in Australia.
Sadly, wild tiger populations are at an all-time low, with less than 400 Sumatran Tigers estimated to be left in the wild.
