Longleat safari park's 'oldest UK' Amur tiger dies

Turlough, a 19-year-old Amur tiger, arrived at Longleat from Dublin Zoo in 2011

An Amur tiger, believed to be the oldest living in the UK, has died at Longleat Safari and Adventure Park.

Turlough had lived at the park since 2011, and was described by staff as a "much loved" member of the family.

Bosses at the Warminster site had become "increasingly concerned" about his health over recent months.

The "fantastic" tiger had to be put to sleep following a degenerative spinal illness that had led to a progressive loss of his hind limb function.

Ryan Hockley, head of safari, said: "At 19 years and 4 months, Turlough was the oldest Amur tiger in the UK having lived at Longleat since 2011.

"Turlough was a much loved member of the Longleat family."

'Touched hearts'

Jon Cracknell, director of operations, said the death was a "great loss" to Longleat.

"Turlough had settled in well here and we are sad to see him go," he added.

"We initially supported this condition with pain relief and palliative care, however as it became progressively worse and following extensive consultation with the veterinary team and internal ethical review, we made the decision to put Turlough to sleep on welfare grounds."

Mr Cracknell said the 19-year-old tiger, who arrived at Longleat from Dublin Zoo in 2011, "touched the hearts" of both visitors and staff.

The park's three other female tigers, who shared an enclosure with Tulough, are in good health but will be monitored to see how they react to his loss, Mr Cracknell added.

According to WWF, Amur tigers, also known as the Siberian tiger, were once found throughout the Russian Far East, northern China, and the Korean peninsula.

By the 1940s, hunting had driven the Amur tiger to the brink of extinction.

The population is now endangered, with around 400 tigers believed to be remaining.