'He was a very special tiger and we shall miss him greatly' - Dudley Zoo announces 'heartbreaking' death of popular tiger João
Dudley Zoo say they have been left 'heartbroken' by the death of their Sumatran Tiger, João.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, September 2 morning, Dudley Zoo announced the 13-year-old animal had passed away in the early hours of Monday morning.
João had been receiving veterinary care for an underlying health issue, but his condition deteriorated suddenly over the weekend despite intensive treatment.
"We are heartbroken to have to share that our majestic Sumatran tiger, João, has passed away," the post read.
"We’ve cared for the 13-year-old since 2013, when he arrived from Krefeld Zoo in Germany to join our resident female, Daseep.
"Although João had recently been receiving veterinary care for an underlying issue, his health deteriorated suddenly over the weekend and despite intensive treatment, he sadly passed away in the early hours of yesterday (Monday) morning.
"A real gentle giant, he was not only much-loved by all of us here at DZC, particularly his dedicated keepers who had the privilege of caring for him, but he was also a firm favourite with visitors too.
"A wonderful ambassador for his species, João helped inspire visitors to learn more about Sumatran tigers, who are classed as critically endangered in the wild.
"And he continues to do remarkable things for conservation as we’ve contributed some of his remains to Nature’s SAFE, a living biobank which helps to safeguard the genetic future of species threatened with extinction.
"He was a very special tiger and we shall miss him greatly."
One Facebook user commented: "This is devastating news, I had the pleasure of meeting João on a big cat feeding experience and I always loved getting photos of him. My thoughts are with the keepers and all staff at the zoo."
Another said: "So sorry to read this sad and heart breaking news about Joao, he was one of the cats I enjoyed visiting during visits to the zoo, he was a lovely tiger, my thoughts are with the keepers and everyone who loved Joao x."
