Zoo Boise says 10-year-old Amur tiger died during a physical exam. Tests are ongoing

A beloved member of the Boise zoo family has died.

Zoo Boise announced in a news release Friday that Diana, a 10-year-old Amur tiger, died during a physical exam this week that involved anesthesia.

“Our animal care team is highly skilled and takes every precaution, but any medical procedure that involves anesthesia comes with inherent risks, be it on a human or animal,” said Zoo veterinarian Holly Holman in a news release. “During the initial necropsy [autopsy performed on an animal], we noticed issues with multiple organs that may have led to this outcome.”

The zoo said additional tests are ongoing to determine the tiger’s cause of death.

“It is always difficult when something of this nature occurs and we at Zoo Boise appreciate the public’s support for our team and this beloved animal,” Holman said.

Doug Holloway, Boise Parks and Recreation director, said in a news release that news of Diana’s death was difficult for many in the Zoo Boise community.

“We will miss Diana immensely and are grateful for the way she helped further Zoo Boise’s conservation mission,” Holloway said in the news release.

Diana arrived at the Idaho zoo in 2019 from the Bramble Park Zoo in Watertown, South Dakota, according to previous Statesman reporting. She was the first tiger at Zoo Boise since March 2018, when a 14-year-old tiger named Katrina had to be euthanized due to complications from a back injury.