Heartbreak over death of Sumatran tiger at zoo

João passed away in the early hours of Monday morning, Dudley Zoo said

The death of a "very special" Sumatran tiger at Dudley Zoo has prompted tributes from hundreds of admirers.

Zoo staff said they were "heartbroken" to share the passing of 13-year-old João, who they had cared for since 2013.

The tiger was being treated for an underlying issue but his health suddenly deteriorated over the weekend and he died early on Monday, a spokesperson said.

The "gentle giant" was "much-loved" by keepers but also "a firm favourite with visitors", the zoo added.

João came from Krefeld Zoo in Germany as a 20-month-old to join the zoo's resident female, Daseep.

"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," the spokesperson said.

"He was a very special tiger and we shall miss him greatly."

Visitors said they were saddened to hear about João's death

Hundreds of followers left tributes and shared photos and drawings of the tiger on the zoo's Facebook page.

One said: "Heartbreaking to hear he has passed. I've been going to see João his entire time at the zoo and both him and Daseep mean a great deal to me.

"Such a beautiful boy with a wonderful personality."

Another person posted that the news was devastating.

"I had the pleasure of meeting João on a big cat feeding experience and I always loved getting photos of him," they said.

Others passed condolences to those who had cared for him and commented about the " memorable" hours they had spent watching João with Daseep over the years

The WildCats Conservation Alliance wrote it was saddened to hear of the death of the "beautiful ambassador for wild tiger conservation."

Some of his remains have been passed to Nature's SAFE, a living biobank which helps to safeguard the genetic future of species threatened with extinction.