FUKUOKA, June 6 — A 20-year-old male Amur tiger, the oldest of his species in Japan, has died at a zoo in Fukuoka, according to the city, Kyodo News reported.
The tiger, Kai, was found motionless in an outdoor exhibition area at Fukuoka Zoo on Thursday morning. He is believed to have died of old age.
The Amur tiger is designated as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which creates the Red List of threatened species.
Kai was born in May 2006 at a zoo in Shizuoka and was transferred to Fukuoka Zoo the following year.
His appetite and physical condition deteriorated sharply around February, and the zoo stopped putting him on regular public display in March so he could rest in a back area.
After his appetite improved, he returned to an outdoor exhibit in late May.
Following his death, Miruru, an 18-year-old female at Tokuyama Zoo in Yamaguchi Prefecture, is now Japan’s oldest Amur tiger, according to the zoo.
