Taebaek, a six-year-old Siberian tiger of Seoul Grand Park zoo, died on the weekend. / Courtesy of Seoul Grand Park

Taebaek, a six-year-old male Siberian tiger beloved by visitors to Seoul Grand Park's zoo, died last weekend after months of deteriorating health, according to the zoo.

Siberian tigers are classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources's Red List.

"Since February, Taebaek's condition deteriorated. His appetite decreased drastically, as did his physical movement. On April 15th, it was decided to proceed with treatment and a health assessment under general anesthesia. Through imaging and hematological analysis, it was confirmed that Taebaek's bile duct system and liver function were severely impaired, requiring medication and intravenous treatment," said the zoo in a statement, adding that despite treatment efforts, the tiger's condition did not improve much.

Following Taebaek's death, the zoo conducted an autopsy and is in consultation with experts to determine the exact cause of death.

Taebaek's death marked the fourth death of a Siberian tiger at the zoo in the last 12 months. Two months ago, on Feb. 26th, a 19-year-old female Siberian tiger named Areum died. Although the exact cause of death has not been determined, it is believed to be due to old age, as tigers that live in captivity typically live for 15 to 20 years on average.

In May and August of last year, a female named Parang — a year old — and a male named Suho — 10 years old — died successively. Parang, born in April 2022, succumbed to feline panleukopenia, an acute viral disease common in felids. Suho was found to have heart disease and had experienced heat stroke.

The zoo set up a memorial space for Taebaek, which will stay open until Sunday.