Ageing white tiger Omar undergoes health check

SINGAPORE — As the Singapore Zoo’s white tiger, Omar, progresses into its senior years, keepers and vets are keeping a closer eye on its health with regular vet checks.

Blood test results show that its liver and kidneys are functioning normally, and the 15-year-old tiger is also receiving treatment for keratisis in its left eye — a condition in which the cornea becomes inflamed or dry.

Unlike health checks for some of the zoo’s animals which require sedation, the tiger’s checks are done through a less stressful process of operant conditioning, where Omar is conditioned to respond to commands such as sitting and opening its mouth.

As such, during a blood test conducted on Jan 16, 2014, deputy head keeper Kumar Vall spoke in calming tones and fed Omar meaty treats, keeping the usually active male tiger at ease in its conditioning chute. On the other side of the chute, head vet Dr Serena Oh and junior keeper Hamidan Mislan quietly and quickly drew blood from its tail. In less than 10 minutes, the procedure was over.

Operant conditioning has allowed the zoo staff to keep an eye on Omar’s health more regularly.

Omar is the only surviving white tiger left in the popular exhibit. Its sisters, Winnie and Jippie, died in August last year and March 2012, respectively. The three tigers had arrived at the Singapore Zoo as 19-month-old cubs on April 6, 2001.

In the wild, tigers have an average lifespan of between 10 to 15 years, while those in zoological institutions live 16-20 years on average.