Cila the Tiger. Photo: Utah’s Hogle Zoo (Facebook)

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. — Utah’s Hogle Zoo announced in a statement on Wednesday that 18-year-old Tiger, Cila, passed away.

The Zoo wrote, It is with great sadness we share the passing of our senior and regal resident Amur tiger, Cila. With a life expectancy in the wild of approximately 10 to 15 years, Cila, at 18½ years of age, was beloved by the community, zoo staff, and guests alike.

“We celebrate when animals are born, we maintain that celebration throughout the rest of their life, even in their twilight years. We care for animals at every stage in life and remain consistent throughout” said Bob Cisneros, Associate Director of Animal Care.

Despite her focused geriatric care, Cila had a rapid decline in her health. As her geriatric challenges and health concerns became more serious, the animal care team, veterinary staff and zoo management made the difficult decision to say goodbye.

Born April 17th 2003, Cila arrived from Indianapolis Zoo in 2015. According to Melanie Kuse, Animal Care Supervisor at Asian Highlands, “Cila was a favorite amongst the Asian Highlands keepers. In her old age, she demanded a lot more attention than some of the younger cats, so we spent a lot of time in the day making sure she was carefully observed and attended to.

“The Asian Highlands area is sadly a bit quieter without Cila’s typical calls and vocalizations, and there is a tiger size hole in our hearts. Cila will be terribly missed.” Cisneros said.

In this Halloween season, people can visit Hogle Zoo’s 42 acres at the mouth of Emigration Canyon for their annual Boolights displays among the animal exhibits.