Sad news came in this afternoon from the El Paso Zoo announcing the death of Melor, the Malayan Tiger.

According to the El Paso Zoo, the 24-year-old female Malayan Tiger “Melor” died today in her exhibit at approximately 10 a.m. when zoo staff found her dead in the moat of her exhibit.

At this point in time, the cause of Melor’s death is not yet known but early indications show she likely died of old age. Malayan Tigers usually have a life expectancy of approximately 16 years. While Melor’s health had been declining over the last few years, the El Paso Zoo will be conducting a complete necropsy to find the exact cause of death.

Melor was born back in 1996 at the Singapore Zoological Gardens and was brought to the United States to be part of a breeding program by the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. Melor was later transferred to the El Paso Zoo in 2001 from Fresno Chaffee Zoo to be a companion to the zoo’s other Malayan Tiger but never bred any cubs.

The last remaining Malayan Tiger at the El Paso Zoo is Seri who is 12 years old. While Malayan Tigers are still extremely endangered in the wild and are disappearing rapidly, the zoo will be reaching out to the Malayan Tiger Species Survival Program, part of the American Zoological Association, to inquire about a possible breeding partner.

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