SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - N’dari, the Sumatran tigress born at Zoo Miami on Jan. 5, 2021, underwent a thorough health examination Wednesday as part of her preparation for transfer to the Fort Worth Zoo later this spring.
The procedures included radiographs, dental cleaning, blood collection, an abdominal ultrasound and an eye exam. The tigress also received vaccinations for rabies and distemper. From an approximate birth weight of 3 pounds, N’dari has steadily grown and now weighs 180 pounds.
N’dari is scheduled to move to the Fort Worth Zoo as part of the Species Survival Plan recommendation. The SSP, managed through the Association for Zoos and Aquariums, is a cooperative population and management program designed to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population of mostly threatened and endangered species under human care. The program recommends the best pairing of animals within the program to achieve the healthiest genetic diversity.
There are less than 500 Sumatran tigers left in the wild, with their biggest threats being poaching and habitat loss to palm oil plantations. They are the smallest subspecies of tigers, with males reaching up to 300 pounds and females closer to 200 pounds. With only around 75 Sumatran tigers in U.S. zoos, N’dari’s transfer to the Fort Worth Zoo is essential for maintaining the genetic diversity of the species under human care.
Once N’dari has left for Texas, her mother, Leeloo, and father, Berani, will be paired again in hopes of producing offspring and contributing to the population of this critically endangered species.
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