A popular tiger has died of old age after 15 years at an animal park.

Ingrid joined Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve near Hythe in July 2005, when she was under two years old.

Fiercely distrustful of humans, she spent most of her life with partner Tugar and gave birth to six cubs throughout her lifetime.

A post on Port Lympne's Facebook page reads: "She was known by her keepers as a fierce and independent tigress who was especially fond of showing off her throaty roar to any human who got too close.

"She never warmed to humans, preferring her own company or, at a push, that of her mate: Tugar.

"The day Ingrid arrived at Port Lympne, Tugar was very excited to meet her. However, she had other ideas and immediately hid herself away in a shed and ignored him.

"The next morning, when the pair were introduced, Ingrid roared in poor Tugar’s face and smacked him on the nose. He immediately submitted to her rule, setting the tone for their long relationship."

Guests at the park's Tiger Lodge got to enjoy this special relationship from its opening until Tugar's death in 2018.

After this, Ingrid "preferred the solitary life, rejecting multiple companions and potential new mates" - according to the Facebook tribute.

Richard Barnes, animal manager at Port Lympne said said: “What made Ingrid so special was her wildness. She had a disdain for humans, even telling her cubs off for interacting with keepers.

"She kept all the keepers on their toes and even if she was in one of her rare good moods, she would still scowl at the keepers and give just a small growl to tell us what she thought.”

The post paying tribute gained more than 2,000 likes overnight and hundreds of comments.

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