DENVER – Officials with the Denver Zoo announced the death of a 3-year-old male Amur tiger named Martin.
Zoo officials say Martin was euthanized Friday after he was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of leukemia, with cancer cells evident in his blood, bone marrow and spleen. Staff says his decline was rapid.
Martin was born at Moscow Zoo in June 2014 and arrived to Denver Zoo from Russia on July 1 of this year. Zoo officials say Martin’s medical records from the Moscow Zoo did not reflect any significant health conditions and his pre-shipment exam in June was normal.
Martin was described by keepers as being shy but flirtatious.
“To lose such a young and magnificent animal is a devastating loss for our team and our community,” said Vice President for Veterinary Medicine, Scott Larsen.