‘We are devastated’: El Paso Zoo mourns death of Melor the Malayan Tiger

EL PASO, Texas – The El Paso Zoo's 24-year-old female Malayan Tiger “Melor” was found dead Monday in the moat of her exhibit.

A necropsy, the animal equivalent of an autopsy, was going to be conducted to determine exactly what caused the tiger's death. However, zoo staff said they believe she likely died of old age.

The zoo noted that Melor exceeded the median life expectancy for Malayan Tigers, which is approximately 16 years, and officials added that her health had been on the decline in recent years.

“We are devastated and extremely heartbroken by the death of Melor,” said El Paso Zoo director Joe Montisano. “Although she was very old, she was a magnificent tiger that represented a critically endangered species.”

Melor was born at a zoo in Singapore in 1996 and was later brought to the U.S. as part of a breeding program. But Melor never had cubs and was transferred to the El Paso Zoo in 2001, where she quickly became a favorite of many zoo visitors due to her playfulness. Zookeepers said she frequently greeted them by chuffing, which is a noise that tigers make when they are happy similar to a cats purr.

With Melor's death, the El Paso Zoo has one remaining Malayan Tiger, Seri, who is 12 years old. Because this tiger species is extremely endangered, zoo officials said they planned to make efforts to try and find a possible breeding partner for Seri through the American Zoological Association.