Point Defiance Zoo staff members on Tuesday euthanized a geriatric tapir who was suffering from congestive heart failure and respiratory problems.
Jambi, 27, was among the first residents of the zoo’s Asian Forest Sanctuary, which opened in 2004, said the zoo’s head veterinarian, Dr. Karen Wolf. Before coming to Tacoma, he was at the National Zoo in Washington.
Malayan tapirs are an endangered species native to Myanmar, the Malay Peninsula, Thailand and Sumatra, according to the zoo. About 3,000 are estimated to live in the wild. Jambi was near the end of the lifespan range for the animals, according to zoo staff members.
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