TOWN OF FARMINGTON, Wis. — Shalom Wildlife Zoo is mourning the loss of Ginger, known as the queen of the zoo, who died Saturday night after a battle with a respiratory illness.
For devoted visitors and the hundreds of thousands who follow the zoo's journey on social media, the loss has been heartbreaking.
Vanessa Mackay drove up from Chicago to see the four baby cubs born at the zoo in August. She was emotional when she learned of Ginger's passing.
"I think we all feel it. She's a mama and her poor little babies… look at them," Mackay said. "She was such a wonderful mom. So, it's pretty devastating. Look at me, I'm all tearing up over this."
Co-owner David Fechter said it appears Ginger had been battling a respiratory illness for several weeks, appeared to improve, then declined quickly.
"We took good care of her," he said. "We had her medicated so she didn't suffer and she was peaceful," Fechter said.
Watch: Shalom Wildlife Zoo's beloved tiger Ginger dies, leaving behind 4 cubs and grieving fans
Fechter said the zoo's veterinarian performed an autopsy and they are waiting on the final results to determine the exact cause of death.
Despite his grief, Fechter reflected on what made Ginger so special to so many people.
"She taught people how to treat each other. That's her legacy," Fechter said. "I guess a 66-year-old man can cry."
Fechter said his heart aches not only for Ginger's fans, but for himself as well, saying the bond they shared was one of a kind.
He said the cubs are independent of their mother and will be alright, staying together for another year.
Mackay said she finds comfort in knowing the cubs will carry on.
"Hopefully they'll continue to thrive," she said. "There will be more generations here and honoring Ginger's memory. So, I'm very thankful for that."
Fechter said Ginger will remain the star of the zoo's billboards for at least another year, giving people time to grieve.
"She gave people a lot of love, hope and beauty," he said. "In our world right now, there is so much turmoil, hate, wars everywhere, and terror everywhere you go. All of these problems on this planet the humans are causing, but you didn't see that with Ginger."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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