By HUNTER BISHOP
By HUNTER BISHOP
Tribune-Herald staff writer
Namaste, the popular white Bengal tiger at the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo, will be missing from his daily public feedings for a while, and an ailment could keep him from his upcoming birthday party.
Zoo visitors regularly flock to the enclosure that houses Namaste to watch the 450-pound tiger devour his afternoon meal. But Namaste is temporarily confined while recovering from a leg injury.
Pam Mizuno, who manages the county-operated zoo, said Namaste had been “sore off and on” for a while because of an ingrown toenail on a front paw, and had come up limping on his right hind leg almost two weeks ago. Mizuno said the first injury may have led to the second, but that no one knows exactly how the back leg injury occurred.
Namaste is under medication and confined to his “night house” now to prevent the animal from trying to walk on the injured limb, possibly causing further injury.
“He’s a little sore,” she said. It’s a soft-tissue injury, a tendon or ligament, she added.
X-rays were taken and there are no bone fractures and Namaste did not have to leave his home at the zoo for any of the medical procedures.
Zoo officials took the opportunity to perform a bit of hygienic grooming on the 13-year-old animal, cleaning his teeth and cutting his nails.
Mizuno said she hasn’t seen the results of Namaste’s recent blood tests yet, but by all appearances “he’s a very healthy tiger” despite his relatively advanced age for a tiger that size. She said the life expectancy of a large tiger like Namaste is 15 to 18 years.
Mizuno couldn’t predict whether Namaste will be well enough to make an appearance at his upcoming 14th birthday party at the zoo.
The nonprofit Friends of the Zoo will be providing games, food and entertainment from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 29. Birthday cake and ice cream will be served at noon until it’s gone, and there will also be a “Birthday Boy’s” special dinner and other treats for Namaste. The petting zoo will be open from 1:30-2:30 p.m. and the daily tiger feeding will end the day at 3:30 p.m. But the public feeding will depend on whether Namaste is well enough by then to make an appearance.
Email Hunter Bishop at hbishop@hawaiitribune-herald.com.