Australia's Perth zoo puts down tiger due to illness

A Western Australian zoo is in mourning following the death a Sumatran tiger named Setia that had to be put down after a health check revealed that it had an aggressive tumor growing in her abdomen.

The Perth Zoo said the decision to put down the animal was made on Tuesday after the lumps were discovered on the 16-year-old tiger during a routine health check at the zoo's veterinary hospital.

In a statement on Wednesday, the zoo said it was not uncommon for older animals such as Setia, to develop cancer and other age-related health problems.

Setia was born at the Perth zoo in 2000 and went on to have four cubs, contributing greatly to the global Sumatran breeding program.

One of her cubs, Jaya, is at Perth Zoo, while another cub Melati, recently gave birth to cubs at the London zoo.

Sumatran tigers are a critically endangered species with only 400 believed to remain in the wild today. Enditem