MIAMI, Fl. (WSVN) — A critically endangered Sumatran tiger was born last week at Zoo Miami.
It is the first Sumatran birth at Zoo Miami and only the fourth born in the United States, the park announced. The three-pound male cub has been in seclusion with his mother since he was born on Nov. 14.
Extra precautions are being taken for the cub’s four-year-old mother, named Leeloo, because it is her first birth.
"First time mothers are often at high stress levels and it is not uncommon for them to abandon their cubs or even kill them should they feel any disturbance," said Ron Magill, Zoo Miami’s Communications Director.
The cub’s seven-year-old father, named Bereni, was born at the San Fransisco Zoo before arriving to Zoo Miami in August of 2013.
It is believed that there are only 500 Sumatran tigers left in the wild. Officials say there biggest threats are habitat loss to palm oil plantations and poaching.
The cub will remain isolated for several weeks with his mother in a den where officials will only observe the animal through a surveillance camera.