Sriracha back to her spunky self at Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens following illness

Anyone who’s visited Hilo’s Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens during the past couple of weeks and stopped by the tiger enclosure might have come across a lively, spunky and energetic Sriracha, the zoo’s female Bengal tiger.

Just a few weeks prior, however, the big cat was the exact opposite of her normally playful self.

Zoo Administrator Mindy Runnells said 8-year-old Sriracha had not eaten for a few days the second week of November, which isn’t necessarily a concern on its own.

But she was also lethargic, not having bowel movements and “not herself at all.”

“Food consumption, fecal output and activity level are the top three health concern indicators when looking at animals, and she hit all three at once,” said Runnells in a Nov. 20 post on the Hawai‘i County Parks and Recreation Deparrment Facebook page.

Administering health care to an apex predator like the zoo’s beloved tiger can be challenging, however, but that didn’t stop zoo staff from getting to the bottom of what was happening and going to great lengths to ensure her well-being.

Zookeepers initially tried to work with Sriracha to do a voluntary blood draw.

She and her 8-year-old male Bengal tiger enclosure mate Tzatziki are trained to participate in their health care with a barrier between them and their keepers, but the voluntary efforts did not work out.

So the decision was made to examine Sriracha while she was under anesthesia — not an easy decision for the people and animal involved.

“These anesthesia events on dangerous animals take an intense amount of planning to cover all of our bases for the safety of the animal, staff and the public,” said Runnells.

Zoo staff, in partnership with Hawai‘i County Animal Control and Protection, made a plan and were able to successfully dart Sriracha with anesthetic.

Once she was under, they collected blood, did a physical, gave her fluids, took a fecal sample and attempted a urine collection.

“I’m extremely proud of our team, which ran an excellent exam with everyone playing crucial roles to make sure it went off without a hitch,” Runnells said. “The communication was flawless, and the teamwork with our other local zoo animal medical professionals was admirable. It is so powerful working with these animals, but it is amazingly rewarding!”

Results of the blood draw indicated the tiger had a minor infection/inflammation. A subsequent urine test showed the culprit behind her illness might have been a urinary tract infection.

Sriracha was fed meatballs to entice her to eat — and take her antibiotics.

“Her keepers tended to her needs and safely hand-fed her until her appetite picked up,” wrote the Friends of the Pana‘ewa Zoo in a Nov. 25 Facebook post.

She was also given different enrichment activities while quarantined and recovering. Even big cats like to play in boxes, by the way.

Slowly but surely, the tiger regained her appetite and energy, getting better as the anitbiotics did their work, eventually returning to her big frisky feline self.

The Friends group thanked everyone involved with the planning, support and dedicated care Sriracha received.

The Facebook post sharing an update about her status had 404 reactions and 26 comments, most wishing the zoo’s tiger well and also thanking those who helped, by Sunday night.

The zoo and Parks and Rec are also glad she’s back at home, feeling better and making guests smile again.

“We’re thrilled that Sriracha has bounced back, and her spunkiness has returned in full force … ,” said the Parks and Rec Facebook post.

Visit the Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens website for more information about the zoo and its tenants. You can also follow it on Facebook and Instagram.