Castro’s journey: a heartfelt story

On a lazy, weekday afternoon cats of all shapes and sizes lounge around and soak in the afternoon sun. Their sleepy yawns and graceful stretches are about the only activity they engage in on warm, spring days.

It is no different for lions, leopards or tigersat the Sacramento Zoo.

They lie on their backs with their paws in the air, while their tails swat the flies from their coats. The lioness keeps one eye open to catch sudden movements in the grass while the "king of the jungle” rolls to his side. An older female snow leopard paces in front of a fallen tree while her young mate naps at the side of a small pond. And a large male tiger is unmoved while sleeping on a cool boulder.

These are a few examples of the daily life of large felines housed at the Sacramento Zoo. The zoo is the home of African lions, Sumatran tigers, Himalayan snow leopards and Central and South American jaguars. They are all part of the re-population program currently in place at zoos across America.

Castro, the Sumatran tiger at the Sacramento Zoo, not only became a father again in March 2013, but was diagnosed with lymphoma this past February.

Tigers are an endangered species. Zoos across the nation are breeding these precious felines and trying to repopulate the wild with offspring of the many rare tigers bred in captivity.

Castro is part of the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan. Right now there is an estimated 400-500 of these at risk tigers roaming Sumatra, a small island in Indonesia. And only 210 of these vulnerable cats live in zoos around the world.

Castro, 15, came to the Sacramento Zoo with his mother in 1999. He is the father of many cubs currently in zoos around the United States, including the 2-year-old male tiger and new father at the San Francisco zoo.

In January of 2013, the zoo veterinarians noticed Castro was lethargic and his diet had radically changed. After treatment for anemia failed, he was put through some extensive tests and examinations. In February, he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a ferocious type of cancer that attacks the lymph system and is closely related to leukemia.

“Wild cats are like your regular cats and get leukemia,” states Tonja Swank, Public Relations Coordinator for the zoo.

After discussing the treatments with other state zoo veterinarian facilities, it was decided to give Castro chemotherapy. He has had three doses. He is tolerating the brutish treatment and gaining weight. This is a hopeful sign. Most chemotherapy patients, human and feline, usually lose weight during their treatments.

During the middle of this ordeal, Castro became a father again on March 3, 2013.

“He is the oldest breeding tiger in captivity in America,” says Mike Owyang, Educational Specialist at the zoo.

Most wild cats are solitary animals. Male tigers will attack their cubs in their natural habitat.

“In the wild they would never interact,” Swank says.

Castro has little contact with his new son. His mate, Bahagia, 13, stays in the indoor facility nursing their young cub, C.J.

“He met his cub through bars and they will probably never meet again,” says Kate Bender, Educational Specialist at the zoo, of Castro and his son.

Meanwhile, Castro roams around in the outdoor exhibit and finds cool places to take a nap. He rests on a boulder next to a larger viewing window where little kids can press their tiny faces against the plexiglass. You can see the patch of hair missing from his treatments on his hip. Castro, who is usually inattentive, yawns wide, showing his predator fangs and turns his massive head to look at the little kids. They scream in horror and delight. He is unconcerned and lays his drowsy head on his paw.

Once C.J. learns his cues from the trainers and he is weened off his mother’s milk, he will get to dally in the viewing window like dad.

“We need to wait until he is big enough so he won’t fall into the pool,” Swank says.

Once mom and cub are able to come out into the outdoor exhibit, Castro will be able to have the indoor facility to himself. That is when the veterinary staff can perform a new examination and take more tests to see if Castro is responding to the drastic treatments.

They are hopeful that his new results will be encouraging.

If you want more information or would like to know what you can do to help Castro and the endangered Sumatran tigers, you can contact the zoo through their website at www.saczoo.org. The zoo membership helps these programs stay in place.