APPLE VALLEY, Minn. -- Molniy, the Minnesota Zoo’s oldest tiger, died Sunday due to chronic health issues from old age, the Apple Valley zoo said Wednesday. He was 16 years old - or about 80 in human years - and one of the oldest tigers the zoo has ever had.
Molniy, an Amur tiger, came to the Minnesota Zoo in 2002 from the Detroit Zoo and “was a favorite among his zookeepers,” said Northern Trail Curator Diana Weinhardt in a statement. The tiger was being treated for a variety of age-related conditions, including arthritis in his shoulders and hips.
It marks the second tiger death at the zoo this year. In May, 3-year-old Nadya died unexpectedly after falling ill.
The zoo currently cares for three other tigers: Sundari, who is 4 years old and Molniy’s female offspring; Patrice, 4 years old; and Putin, 6 years old.
The Amur tiger, also known as the Siberian tiger, is the largest of all cats and one of six remaining tiger subspecies. It is a top predator of far eastern Asia.
