Probe underway after early deaths of 11 Siberian tigers at zoo

This photo taken on Nov. 10, 2022, shows a Siberian tiger, Penja, and her cubs at Seoul Grand Park zoo in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. Korea Times file

An investigation is underway to find the cause of the early deaths of 11 Siberian tigers at Seoul Grand Park zoo over the past five years.

According to the city government, which operates the park located in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Monday, a group of experts from an external organization is looking into whether any rules were violated regarding animal management there in recent years.

“A separate investigation will be conducted if the results find that violations of guidelines for breeding management or any other rules were related directly to the deaths,” an official said in response to a complaint about the issue on the petition website run by the city. “We would also strengthen monitoring and medical checkups as part of our effort to reduce the number of disease-related deaths.”

This move comes two weeks after the death of Taebaek, a 6-year-old Siberian tiger. The cause of death is still unclear, with experts still trying to determine it.

According to officials, Taebaek was the 11th Siberian tiger to have died prematurely from disease or accident before the age of 15 at the zoo since 2019.

The average lifespan for Siberian tigers is known to be 16 to 18 years; those in captivity tend to live several years longer, with some living up to 25 years.

Siberian tigers, also known as Amur tigers, are classified as a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological species.