Animal park pays tribute after death of Amur tiger

Amur tiger Sayan passed peacefully surrounded by her keepers

A South Yorkshire animal park said a female tiger who has died due to an age-related illness would be "deeply missed".

Sayan, a 14-year-old Amur tiger, arrived at Yorkshire Wildlife Park near Doncaster in 2011, moving from Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent.

The park said Sayan had been contending with a "progressive age-related illness" and despite the efforts of rangers and her veterinary team, her health continued to worsen.

The team said staff had made the "difficult decision" to put Sayan to sleep.

'Cherished'

Sayan was moved from Kent to Doncaster to encourage a pair of endangered Amur Siberian tigers to reproduce.

She had a narrow escape when she was only three years old after having an extremely rare reaction to anaesthetic used during root canal work.

Her heart stopped beating for 12 minutes but she went on to make a full recovery.

The park said: "Sayan quickly became a cherished member of the Yorkshire Wildlife Park family and will be deeply missed by all of us.

"Rest in peace, Sayan."

The species, from a region of Siberia, is the largest of the tigers and there are only an estimated 400 to 500 living in the wild, in the birch forests of eastern Russia.

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