Isle of Wight Zoo in Mourning after passing of Big Cat Zia

There are no words to communicate our devastation in announcing the passing of our darling Zia. Staff at the Isle of Wight Zoo in Sandown are in mourning this week after news that one of the attraction’s long-term residents, Zia the tiger, has died. Zia who was the zoo’s oldest resident big cat was hand raised at the zoo following her rejection by her mother at Longleat Safari Park but passed away aged 22. In a statement the zoo said: “There are no words to communicate our devastation in announcing the passing of our darling Zia. “In her presence rainbows blushed to sepia, winds whispered to be still, the sun bowed its rays and the brightest stars were eclipsed. Her timeless grace and exotic beauty, her quirky style and intense but often introverted nature made her a true icon, the queen of our cats. “Her own woman, from beginning to end, she didn’t do small talk, laughed in the face of authority and dished out chuffs like caviar. RIP our darling girl. Long may the legacy she has created live on in every big cat who we give a forever home to now and in the future.