BARTON COUNTY –Officials with Great Bend-Brit Spaugh Zoo are mourning the loss of a popular Bengal Tiger. Sunny Delight was humanely euthanized Wednesday, according to a media release.

Animal care and veterinary staff decided that his quality of life had deteriorated to a point that they could no longer keep him comfortable.

For the last five-years Sunny was monitored closely and had undergone treatment for severe arthritis and stomach ulcers. During his 2012 annual physical he was found to be in the beginning stages of kidney failure and in 2014 a cancerous tumor was removed from the base of his tail. A necropsy has been performed and results are pending.

Sunny moved to the zoo along with his brother Spirit in 1998 when they were just eight weeks old. While Spirit got most of the public’s attention because he was a white tiger, Sunny has always been his keeper’s favorite due to his friendly disposition. He was always eager to offer a friendly “chuff” to anyone.

Zookeeper Ashley Burdick reported on behalf of all zoo staff, “We are devastated. Tigers in captivity have a life expectancy of 15-17 years and we were honored to have Sunny two years longer. He would have been 19 years old on September 2 and we knew this day would come, but our hearts are still broken at the loss.”

The zoo will not immediately acquire new tigers as the building and yard are nearly twenty years old and in need of some renovation, according to Burdick, After the renovations are complete the zoo will seek to acquire Malayan or Sumatran tigers through the Species Survival Plan.