[Cheongju Zoo SNS]
[Cheongju Zoo SNS]

Hosuni, a Siberian tiger born at Cheongju Zoo, has died at the age of 20.

The zoo announced Wednesday on its official social media that Hosuni, a Siberian tiger born July 3, 2006, died at around 8 p.m. on Friday, July 3.

Hosuni, who had suffered from chronic illness in her old age, was euthanized by veterinarians on the exact day she turned 20. She was the sister of Iho, another tiger at the zoo who died in January.

The zoo recalled that Hosuni had a very different temperament from her older sister Iho, who died earlier this year. Iho was raised by humans from birth and was sociable, while Hosuni — who nursed from her mother for several weeks before being weaned — retained a wild nature. Whether it was the power of her mother's milk, she was far larger than Iho and carried a wildness that gave her the full bearing of a Siberian tiger, the zoo said.

The zoo added that time was equally unsparing to Hosuni — last summer she looked noticeably thinner and seemed to struggle through the sweltering heat.

On July 1, the zoo received a report that Hosuni was staggering on her hind legs, and the following day confirmed she was having difficulty urinating and walking.

On the day she died, the zoo urgently brought in an orthopedic veterinarian from Bucheon and an imaging specialist from Daejeon to attempt treatment, but her reduced mobility had led to bedsores, and maggots were found throughout her fur.

The zoo determined that surgery would be difficult and that the chances of recovery, even if successful, were low.

The zoo said the thought of Hosuni returning home after anesthesia only to be covered in maggots was deeply distressing, and that it did not seem like the end a tiger of her proud bearing would have wanted. Staff administered the euthanasia drug while she was unconscious.

On the decision to euthanize, the zoo said "euthanasia is the hardest and most unwanted thing a veterinarian can do — even more so when you remember the animal as a young one," adding that it was "the last thing we could do for an animal with no treatment options and nothing left but pain."

[Cheongju Zoo SNS]
[Cheongju Zoo SNS]

The zoo also reflected that natural death for a zoo animal can sometimes be romanticized, adding that "we cannot rule out the possibility that it is the result of neglecting a patient animal's suffering."

It closed by saying it still considered it a relief that Hosuni did not have to endure the long, grueling summer she had struggled through before, and wished her a peaceful rest.


ygmoon@heraldcorp.com