Emily, a Siberian tiger dies in SF zoo

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Emily, a 343-pound Siberian tiger at the San Francisco Zoo, has died of cancer of the spleen at the age of 12.

The tiger's keeper Ron Bernardi said Emily started vomiting last week and by Wednesday she was lethargic and spurned the horse meat and gutted rabbits that she ate, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday.

Thursday, Bernardi said she was down, breathing rapidly and bleeding from the nose and she was anesthetized by the veterinary staff at and died shortly afterwards from cardiac arrest.

"She tried mightily to stay with us," Bob Jenkins, director of animal care and conservation. "It was a particularly poignant moment, it was very quiet, almost serene and very emotional. Given that Siberian tigers, largest of all cats, can live up to 15 years in the wild and up to 26 years in captivity, Emily died relatively young."

An endangered species, Siberian tigers have dwindled to about 350 in the wild, but about 200 reside in North American zoos.