Racine Zoo's Amur Tiger Changbai Dies at Age 19

Changbai, a 19‑year‑old Amur tiger, was humanely euthanized on July 26, 2026 at the Racine Zoo in Wisconsin after her health rapidly declined earlier in the summer. Born on May 24, 2007 at the Philadelphia Zoo, she later lived at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo and Ohio’s Columbus Zoo before arriving in Racine in 2023. During her career she served as a wildlife ambassador at four AZA‑accredited zoos and appeared in the National Geographic series “Secrets of the Zoo.”

Zoo staff noted Changbai’s fierce independence, striking appearance and playful habits, such as stalking keepers, shredding paper and voluntarily presenting her abdomen, teeth, paws and tail for medical examinations. She died peacefully surrounded by the caretakers who had cared for her throughout her life.