Zoo Boise’s tiger dies after fight with cancer

A Zoo Boise Amur tiger was euthanized Monday after treatment for cancer failed, and the tiger’s quality of life began to decline, according to a zoo press release.

The cancer had spread to the male tiger’s liver and pancreas and the animal’s health had been in decline for about a month, according to the press release.

The tiger, named Tundra, had been in Zoo Boise since 1999 when he was transferred from a Chicago zoo with his brother Taiga. Steve Burns, director for Zoo Boise, said in a statement that the whole community would mourn the tiger.

“Everyone at Zoo Boise is very sad about the passing of Tundra. He was part of our family and we will miss him. An entire generation of children in the Treasure Valley grew up seeing him and marveling at his beauty and majesty,” Burns said.

Tiger’s typically live 10 to 15 years in the wild and an average of 16 years in captivity, according to the release.

This story was originally published March 3, 2016 at 10:10 AM with the headline "Zoo Boise’s tiger dies after fight with cancer."