SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) _ A northern Indiana zoo is mourning the loss of a rare white Bengal tiger that had delighted zoo visitors with its majestic appearance for 13 years.
WNDU-TV reports South Bend's Potawatomi Zoo says Ivory, an 18-year-old female, was euthanized Monday due to advancing old age that had hampered her quality of life.
Zoo Executive Director Marcy Dean says zoo staffers are “deeply saddened'' over losing Ivory but take solace knowing “she had a good quality of life'' during her time at the zoo.
Dean says Ivory was loved and she'll be missed.
There are fewer than 2,500 Bengal tigers remaining in the wilds of Asia. White Bengal tigers are a rare pigmentation variant of the species, which has an average life expectancy of between 15 and 20 years.
