Namaste has died at Panaewa Zoo

[mary blonde]

Just heard the beautiful white tiger Namaste was euthanized today for hip dyplasia. He couldn't move anymore.
How sad!!!!

Live Aloha

[macuu222]

Very sad indeed!

[Lupie]

He was a very beautiful animal.

[Adam-I-Am]

Sayonara

[vviles]

Lots of sweet memories of Namaste at the zoo. Thanks for them all!! Xoxo

[2liveque]

The county appears to have plans to bring in a new Tiger. Does anyone know if tigers are pack animals? Namaste always looked as if he needed some company in that large enclosure. In other words, perhaps the county can bring in at least two?

[csgray]

Lions hang out in prides, but tigers are solitary and have huge territories with one per tiger. Mating season is the only time there will be two or more tigers in the same territory.

Carol

[Carey]

Namaste will be missed by many, as he was a very socially interactive tiger

Tigers are normally solitary (yet social) animals, unlike lions that live in a group (pride). As Namaste was never going to be within any breeding program (whiter tigers are not within the ES tiger breeding programs), his residence here was mutually beneficial

That is one of the consideration with bringing any endangered animal into Panaewa Zoo, as involving any endangered solitary animal in a breeding program here is much more complicated than many other locations...
more tiger info:
http://www.livescience.com/27441-tigers.html

[Andrew]

I went to see the old guy several times and always enjoyed the time spent. I was always wanting to see him chase down one of the live chickens that always seemed to find their way into his enclosure but alas never saw that spectacle. I did however get to see him feed several times. The zoo keeper would get him into his eating/sleeping cage then feed him several raw whole chickens and other tasty morsels and he would devour them. The sound of the chicken bones crunching between his powerful jaws was something to remember.

It's my understanding that he slipped on the hillside one day and injured his hip. I guess he never recovered from it. Sad.

Another old fellow I miss is Arnie the water buffalo. He was just plain ancient and one day succumbed to old age.

Sadly too another of my favorites isn't there any more either. The tiny spider monkeys that had free range in the walk-through enclosure are also gone due to a disease they got of some sort. They were always fun to watch.

[Seeb]

My kids are going to be bummed.