An 18-year-old Dallas Zoo tiger passed away on November 20.
The zoo announced the death just 10 days later, on November 30, in a tweet that read:
“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of our 18-year-old male tiger, Manis. He passed away on Nov. 20, following a procedure that same afternoon, which revealed signs of severe worsening of his kidney failure. Our Zoo family will miss this handsome, regal boy.”
Manis, the Sumatran tiger, was born in 2004 in Seattle and was brought to the Dallas Zoo in 2015.
It is estimated that there are an equal amount of wild Sumatran tigers living in captivity. Lisa Van Slett, associate curator of mammals at the zoo, said there are about 400 in the wild and another 400 in captivity.
Manis was one of a group of seven tigers at the Dallas Zoo. Lisa Van Slett, associate curator of mammals at the zoo, spoke about his temperament.
“Because he’s so laid back, he taught a lot of new zoologists how to work with big cats because it can be intimidating if it’s the first time you’re working with these types of animals,” she said.
Manis was a “great babysitter,” according to Van Slett. He was gentle and playful with the cubs but simultaneously loved demolishing toys and rolling around in the mud.
For his 18th birthday this year, zoo employees threw him a birthday party. The party was construction-themed, and onlookers sat back and watched as Manis dismantled his toys.
Manis did not have any children, but he lived a full life, according to Van Slett.
Van Slett said that as long as Manis was still playful, the zoo employees had hope for him.
“He was always rolling around in [the] mud and getting into things … We used to joke that if he’s too clean that we should be worried.” Van Slett said.
The Dallas Zoo, a city-owned organization, has had several animals pass away in recent months, including a number of giraffes and a cheetah. Several exhibits, however, have welcomed new additions, as a baby giraffe and hippo were born.
