Australian zoo kills tiger due to illness

Sydney, Aug 3 (IANS) Australia's Perth zoo has been mourning the death a Sumatran tiger named Setia that had to be killed after a health check revealed a tumour growing in her abdomen.

The decision to put down the animal was made on Tuesday after the lumps were discovered on the 16-year-old Setia during a routine health check, Xinhua news agency reported.

Setia was born at the zoo in 2000 and went on to have four cubs, contributing greatly to the global Sumatran breeding programme.

Sumatran tigers are a critically endangered species with only 400 believed to remain in the wild.