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Sofi and Jasmine, the Amur tiger sisters who called ZooMontana home since 2014, passed away earlier this year. In May, Sofi was humanely euthanized after a rapid decline in health. In September, Jasmine’s heart stopped during an exploratory procedure, and her caregivers made the difficult decision to let her go, prioritizing her comfort.
After each loss, we received so many supportive comments and questions about the future. Now that some time has passed, we wanted to share this message to celebrate Sofi and Jasmine, provide more details about their health complications, and look ahead to future tiger care at the Zoo.
Sofi’s decline in health happened quickly. Our Animal Care Team noticed changes in her behavior, such as inappetence and lethargy. Unfortunately, her condition continued to decline, and our team’s focus shifted to end of life care. Sofi had her caregivers at her side when she was humanely euthanized.
“Sofi was deeply cherished by members of her care team and by all who had the opportunity to spend time with her. She will be remembered for her love of rolling in clove, her playful habit of turning evening shifts into a game, and her signature chuffs, which her care team often described as one of the best sounds in the world,” we wrote in an earlier message detailing Sofi’s life, passing, and legacy.
A necropsy revealed Sofi’s ailing condition was consistent with signs and symptoms of leukemia.
During the second half of the summer, our Animal Care Team noticed changes in Jasmine’s behavior, as well.
Unlike Sofi, Jasmine’s changes presented with more variability. Her caregivers recognized something was wrong, but Jasmine had good days and bad days in terms of mobility and energy levels.
On September 25th, Jasmine was anesthetized during a scheduled exploratory procedure. This procedure was carried out to identify the cause of Jasmine’s health worries. Unfortunately, Jasmine’s heart stopped while she was under, and after initial assessments,
Jasmine’s necropsy revealed she had malignant liver cancer.
Our team and community said goodbye to two longtime residents within a handful of months, but Sofi and Jasmine’s legacy is built on years amazing memories.
These cherished residents were familiar faces at the Zoo for more than a decade, and during that time, they made an impression on thousands of people—including our staff and visitors throughout the state, country, and world. To say that Sofi and Jasmine left an impression on our hearts and history is an understatement.
Our memories of Sofi and Jasmine, and the lessons we learned caring for each of them, will continue to guide us in the years ahead.
In recent weeks, we’ve received questions about the future of tiger care at ZooMontana. Admittedly, it will be a while before guests can visit tigers at the Zoo once again, but that is what we’re preparing for.
Naturally, tiger species are a great fit for our geographic location (and Montana winters!), and we know how much our members and visitors enjoy seeing them along with the educational opportunities they provide.
There’s work to do before we’re ready to welcome tigers back to the Zoo though. The habitat was Sofi and Jasmine’s home for twelve years, after all, and is need of renovation and updates. We’ll share more about the Zoo’s plans once they begin to take shape.
Want to help us prepare for future tiger care?
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