SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Zoo Miami’s family just got a little bit bigger.
The zoo announced the birth of a critically endangered female Sumatran tiger cub.
The cub was born back in January, but the zoo took extreme measures to ensure the mom, Leeloo, and the newborn were isolated and in seclusion to avoid external stress.
The newborn is the second cub for Leeloo, and Zoo Miami believes she is the second Sumatran tiger born in the United States since 2019.
The zoo said there are only 72 Sumatran tigers living in zoos across the country, and it is believed there is less than 500 tigers left in the wild.
Their biggest threats are poaching and habitat loss to palm oil plantations.
The zoo is hosting a naming contest for the newborn as part of a fundraising effort for the Species Survival Plan’s “Tiger Conservation Campaign.”
Zoo Miami will release more details on March 29, when it officially begins.
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