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White tiger from Landry’s Downtown Aquarium euthanized

‘Quality of life began to decline’ in old age

Reef a male white tiger looks to smash a pumpkin filled with meat during the Downtown Aquarium's annual Smash the Squash Friday, Oct. 29, 2010, in Houston. The audience got learn about the enrichment programs the aquarium has for the tigers as they watched the tigers play with their jack-o-lanterns. (Nick de la Torre/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

A white tiger from Landry’s Downtown Aquarium in Houston has been put down, a spokesperson from the aquarium confirmed to KPRC 2.

Reef, a 20-year-old male tiger who lived in captivity at the aquarium’s tiger exhibit, was a beloved animal in the community. In a statement confirming his passing, the aquarium said that the difficult decision to euthanize the animal was made after his “quality of life began to decline in his advanced age.”

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Reef was also known for his playfulness and curiosity, interacting with aquarium guests and making time to explore the tiger habitat.

“Reef lived well-beyond his life expectancy, which is on average 10 years in the wild. Reef’s specimen has been donated to science to and in effort to reinforce our commitment to supporting scientific advancement and education research programs,” a portion of the aquarium’s statement read.


About the Author
Michael Horton headshot

Michael is a Kingwood native who loves visiting local restaurants and overreacting to Houston sports. He joined the KPRC 2 family in the spring of 2024. He earned his B.A. from Texas A&M University in 2022 and his M.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2023.

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