Zeus, the male tapir at Curraghs Wildlife Park, has died after a short illness, the park has announced.
According to 3FM, he died on 20 October. The park said he had been suffering from colic, and that its vets and animal care staff had been unable to save him.
“Our teams worked hard to give him the care and treatment he needed, and we are all saddened by his loss,” the park said in a statement reported by Gef.
The park called Zeus “a much-loved member” of its animal family. 3FM described him as one of its favourite residents.
Louka, his mother, still lives at the park. It said she can generally be spotted close to the trains and the play areas.
The enclosure next to the jumping pillow, which was Zeus’s home, will stay unoccupied for now, according to the park. It is trying to raise the money needed to look after that part of the site and develop it in future.
The park thanked the public for their understanding and for the messages of support it expected to receive. It said parting with an animal was never easy, either for the keepers who look after them daily or for visitors who had got to know them.
