WACO, Texas — Editor's Note: The attached video aired in December 2023.
Kucing, one of the male Sumatran Tigers at the Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, passed away on Wednesday June 5, according to the zoo.
The 15-year-old tiger passed away while he was undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma, a type of cancer that was affecting his spleen. The zoo says that a preliminary necropsy has indicated "complications secondary to treating his cancer" were likely what caused his death, but a final report is pending.
Born on Nov. 13, 2008 at the San Diego Zoo, Kucing came to Cameron Park Zoo in March 2010 with his mate, Maharani, and has lived in Waco ever since. Maharani is 18 years old, and one of two of the oldest females in the county. She is also one of seven of the oldest females in that age bracket globally.
Sumatra tigers are usually found on the Indonesian island of the same name, and are the smallest subspecies of tigers. As adults, they can weigh between 200 and 300 pounds, and in the wild are typically found in the lowland and mountain forests. They have faced major population-related threats from poaching, habitat threats from loggers and palm oil production, and have also suffered due to a dwindling number of preys.
The zoo says there are between 400 and 600 Sumatra tigers left in the wild, and are classified as a critically endangered species.
Cameron Park Zoo officials say they are now working with the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan to "identify a potential new breeding pair to move to its tiger facility."
“It’s a constant effort,” said Zoo Director Brendan Wiley. “We have an amazing team of people that even as they mourn the loss of Kucing, continue to work for species survival.”