EVANSVILLE — The Sumatran tiger at Mesker Park Zoo and Botanic Garden has died, officials announced Wednesday.
In social media post, the zoo shared the death of Luna, who was 3 years old.
Early this week, Luna’s keepers noticed she was vomiting and the veterinary staff started her on medications, according to the zoo. There was no improvement after 24 hours, so a full exam was done that included bloodwork, radiographs and an abdominal ultrasound.
“The radiographs revealed what appeared to be a mass-like foreign body in her mid-esophagus,” the post states. “During the exam an orogastric tube was carefully passed without obstruction, and it was believed the object may have at least partially shifted into her stomach based on follow-up imaging.”
Luna then was monitored overnight while she recovered from anesthesia. According to the zoo, her condition worsened and the veterinary staff worked to get a facility capable of performing a CT scan, endoscopy and emergency surgery if needed in under 24 hours.
“Early Saturday morning, Luna was transported three hours to a specialized facility equipped with everything necessary to give her the best possible chance at survival,” the post states. “Tragically, just prior to conducting the CT, she passed unexpectedly. Despite quick intervention, emergency medications, and multiple rounds of CPR, our team was unable to save her.”
During the autopsy, it was confirmed there was a foreign body that pierced a hole in Luna’s esophagus causing a pneumothorax, a collapsed lung.
The zoo stated in its post that the foreign body is believed to be cartilage from a knuckle bone. This is a normal part of a tiger’s diet, which is typically able to be chewed and digested safely.
“It is believed Luna may not have fully chewed the piece before swallowing,” the zoo stated. “Our veterinarian in consultation with a board-certified veterinary surgeon has shared that even if the object had been successfully removed, the severity and size of the obstruction would likely have resulted in the same outcome.”
The surgery that would be required is invasive and results in weeks of recovery relying on a feeding tube.
“Our veterinarian and animal care staff did heroic work, trying to save Luna. This was a rare and devastating situation and in no way reflects anything less than the gold standard of care our animals receive every single day,” the zoo stated. “Our staff is grieving deeply, just as our community is, and we ask for kindness, grace, and appreciation for the team who worked selflessly to help this amazing cat.”
Born at the Oklahoma City Zoo in 2022, Luna had been at Mesker Park Zoo since 2024.
“She has been under the amazing watch of our animal husbandry team. Though she was still young and learning to trust, Luna showed remarkable progress thanks to the patience, dedication, and love of her keepers,” the zoo stated in its post. “The relationship they built with her in a short time played a pivotal role in the ability of our veterinary team to provide care when she needed it most.”
The zoo will work with the AZA Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Program to identify placement of a new tiger, but it may be some time before one is identified and able to come to the zoo.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville zoo’s tiger has died after ‘rare, devastating’ situation
Reporting by Sarah Loesch, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
