Tiger dies year after arriving at zoo

A tiger has died just one year after arriving at a zoo.

Pasha, a seven-year-old male Amur tiger based at Marwell Zoo, near Winchester, was put down following a short illness.

The zoo's vet team worked alongside its animal care team to investigate the cause and try different treatments, before the "difficult decision" was made to euthanise him "to prevent any further suffering."

The zoo - which now has no tigers on site - said Pasha had been "loved by visitors as well as the keepers who cared for him," adding that staff across the zoo were "understandably upset to lose him."

Pasha arrived at the zoo near Winchester in 2025 from Port Lympne.

Last July, he fatally injured female tiger Valentina during their first introduction as a breeding pair.

In a statement, Marwell said: "As with all of our animals, Pasha's welfare was the highest priority."

The zoo described the situation as "complex" and said it was "influenced by multiple factors," without giving further detail on the cause of his illness.

Amur tigers typically live 10 to 14 years in the wild and can live up to 20 years in captivity, with an average life expectancy of around 14 to 16 years. There are thought to be only around 400 left in the wild, and the species is listed as endangered.

Marwell had previously said it planned to bring in a new female tiger to resume its breeding programme.

The zoo asked for time and space for its teams "to process this loss."