Houston Zoo euthanizes 20-year-old geriatric jaguar
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston Zoo shared some sad news about one of its animals Thursday afternoon.
Kan Balam, a 20-year-old geriatric jaguar, had to be euthanized.
"Due to the tremendous care provided to him by his keepers and the Houston Zoo veterinary team, Kan Balam lived well beyond his expected lifespan. Jaguars expected lifespan in the wild is between 12-15 years," a zoo press release read.
Zoo officials said the the carnivore staff and veterinary team made the decision after Kan's quality of life started to decline.
"Quality care and continuous advances in veterinary medicine extends animals' lives longer than ever, with most felines in human care living well beyond previous generations. Because of this, all cats, including domestic house cats and jaguars, often spend a significant phase of their lives as older animals, and are at a higher risk for geriatric complications," according to the zoo.
Kan was born at a zoological facility in Mexico. He was often referred to as "Kan B."
Before coming to the Houston Zoo, Kan had an altercation with another jaguar and lost part of his front right foot. The zoo said he received laser acupuncture and annual chiropractic adjustments.
