Assiniboine Park Zoo euthanizes 'matriarch' tiger Kendra

The Assiniboine Park Zoo says it is "in mourning" after an 18-year-old tiger was euthanized.

Amur tiger Kendracame to Winnipeg in 2007 and was the mother of tiger cubs born at the zoo.

In a post on Facebook, the zoo announced that Kendra had been in pain over the last couple of weeks.

"Over the last one to two years, Kendra developed progressive, age-related arthritis. With some assistance and veterinary care, she has managed pretty well and was still comfortable," the post said. "However, her condition has declined significantly over the past couple of weeks, and so the very difficult decision was made to euthanize her."

Kendra was born at the St. LouisZoo in March 1999. She gave birth to Sarma and Reka in Winnipeg in July 2011, and the Assiniboine Park Zoo community was devastated whenReka passed away in August 2012. Sarma moved on to the Cherry Brook Zoo in Saint John, N.B.in November of 2013 as part of the Species Survival Program.

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"Losing Kendra is like losing a member of the Assiniboine Park Zoo family and we are all in mourning," the post stated. "She was loved."

According to the Pittsburgh Zoo, Amur tigers can live 10-15 years in the wild, or 16-22 years in captivity.