MONCTON, N.B. - Tomar the tiger has made his final bows on the stage where he has been a star for almost two decades.

The Magnetic Hill Zoo, where the old Siberian tiger has lived since he was a cub, held a rare winter open house on Saturday so people could come in and say goodbye to an animal who has become an ambassador for a vanishing breed.

Hundreds of people, old and young, streamed into the zoo in Moncton to see the tiger, who is in kidney failure and may not survive the winter.

There were tears, sad smiles and many shared memories as people lined up along the chain-link fence surrounding Tomar's enclosure.

For his part, Tomar loafed on a bed of hay, only occasionally strolling along the fence to give his adoring fans a show.

Every now and then, a muted roar and an open mouth displaying an impressive arsenal of teeth reminded onlookers that while Siberian tigers are handsome, they're not huggable.

"He is such a beautiful tiger,'' said Melissa Jolicoeur, who drove to Moncton from Fredericton with her four-year-old son, Samuel, to see Tomar.

"It's like something you see in the movies or on television.''

Inside the zoo entrance, people lined up to sign Tomar's guestbook.

The best wishes from children were simple and poignant.

"I love you,'' a girl called Julie wrote in childish scrawl.

"Tomar _ the king of the cats,'' said another entry.

"I'll miss you,'' one child wrote. "You are so beautiful.''

Patti Boudreau of nearby Memramcook, N.B., travelled to the zoo with her husband to see the tiger she has known all his life.

Tomar, she said, was born just a week later than her youngest son in November, 1988.

The cat, who was bred in captivity and born in Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo, came to the Magnetic Hill facility when he was just five months old.

In the 19 years since, Boudreau and her children have visited every year, watching the tiger grow up and grow old.

Boudreau hates the thought of saying goodbye.

"It's heartbreaking,'' she said.

"Unless you have followed Tomar through his life it probably doesn't hit as hard as it does for us, who have known him all of his life. It's very sad.''

The Siberian tiger is the largest member of the cat family. They can reach 400 kilograms in weight.

They are endangered in the wild, where a cat of Tomar's advanced age would be extremely rare.

In captivity, the cats can live as long as 24 years.

Tomar has been alone in his enclosure since 2004, when his longtime mate, Pasha, died after she was fed donated meat that came from a euthanized animal.

The barbiturates in the carcass killed Pasha and led to an immediate change in zoo policies for donated meat.

Bruce Dougan, general manager of the Magnetic Hill Zoo, said Tomar is not in pain.

"To look at him, you wouldn't think he was ill and we don't think he is feeling ill,'' said Dougan, adding that Tomar's weight loss was the first sign of trouble.

"He's in the early stages of renal failure and we know his time is limited.''

He said the tiger is being monitored daily. He said if there is any sign of suffering, Tomar will be peacefully put to sleep.

Although the tiger has become the symbol for the small, New Brunswick zoo, Dougan said it's too early to think about getting another tiger or tigers.

The Magnetic Hill Zoo is part of a theme park built around Magnetic Hill, where an optical illusion makes cars appear to coast uphill although they are, in fact, going downhill.

The 16-hectare zoo houses about 400 creatures.