Rare Sumatran Tiger Dies at Zoo Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA -- Kavi the Sumatran tiger has died, Zoo Atlanta announced this week.

"Our Veterinary Team had been treating Kavi, who was a geriatric tiger, for several years for arthritis," the zoo posted on its Facebook page Thursday. "Within the last several weeks, his condition grew progressively worse due to complications of severe arthritis, mobility challenges and other age-related issues."

Kavi debuted at the Atlanta zoo in 2006 and became a father in 2011 when two cubs, Sohni and Sanjiv, were born.

The next year, the big cat was moved to Washington, D.C., under the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Tiger Species Survival Plan, according to the zoo's website. In the nation's capital at the Smithsonian Zoo, Kavi sired two more cubs in 2013.

Kavi returned to Atlanta in March 2014 and soon became beset by health problems.

“Zoo Atlanta is saddened by the loss of Kavi, who was not only a special member of our family and a magnificent cat, but a representative of a critically endangered species,” Hayley Murphy, DVM, Vice President of Animal Divisions, was quoted as saying on the zoo's Facebook page. “The fact that he lived such a long life is a great testament to the dedication and hard work of his care team, who shared a deep commitment to Kavi and to preserving his quality of life.”

Image courtesy of Zoo Atlanta