Photo: Courtesy of Zoo New England, Eric Kilby.
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Following the revelation that "Anala" the tiger at Franklin Park Zoo was suffering from kidney failure in September, officials made the decision to humanely euthanize her on Monday after it was determined her condition was chronic and irreversible.
Zoo New England said in a statement that the health of the 17-year-old Bengal mix was on a steady decline, and that kidney problems are not uncommon in geriatric cats.
Photo: Courtesy of Zoo New England, Sean Molloy.
“We all adored Anala, and are going to greatly miss her. While this is sad news to share, we take comfort in knowing that Anala inspired and brought so much joy to so many of our visitors through the years," said Assistant Curator at Zoo New England’s Franklin Park Zoo Chris Bartos.
According to the zoo, Anala was brought to New England in 2006 to be a part of the "Tiger Tales" habitat— the first of its kind at Franklin Park Zoo in 30 years. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service seized Anala and a white tiger named Luther during a sting operation at a wildlife sanctuary that wanted to put them on the market for sale.
14-year-old Luther passed away in 2019 after officials determined he was not responding to cancer medications and his health declined.
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For years, Anala and Luther lived at the Franklin Park Zoo, and their story acted as a means to educate the public about illegal wildlife trafficking and exploitation of wild animals. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, wild tiger populations have plummeted because of illegal trafficking operations, dropping from around 100,000 tigers in 1910 to around 3,200 tigers in 2010.
The Franklin Park Zoo says it will announce plans for the unoccupied Tiger Tales exhibit on its website and social media pages.
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