SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Zoo Miami announced the passing of “Berani,” a 15 ½-year-old Sumatran tiger. The announcement comes just one day after the zoo said he was in serious condition.
According to the zoo, he was humanely euthanized after being diagnosed with cancer of the spleen. Berani had been showing signs of lethargy and loss of appetite, prompting a series of examinations and tests at the zoo’s Animal Hospital, Zoo Miami said in a news release.
Zoo officials said preliminary findings indicated severe anemia, dehydration, an enlarged spleen, and kidney abnormalities. Further tests confirmed the diagnosis of cancer of the spleen, and due to his advanced age and poor prognosis, the decision was made to euthanize him, zoo officials said.
Born in March 2008 at the San Francisco Zoo, Berani came to Zoo Miami in 2013 as part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) recommendation. He successfully sired a male and a female cub during his time at the zoo.
According to officials, Sumatran tigers are critically endangered, with fewer than 500 remaining in the wild, primarily in Sumatra, Indonesia. Their survival is threatened by habitat loss to palm oil plantations and poaching.
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