MIAMI — Zoo Miami announced on Thanksgiving a new member of its family – a critically endangered Sumatran tiger cub.
The zoo called this birth important because it helps the overall conservation efforts with the big cats. But it's also "especially meaningful" to everyone at Zoo Miami after the loss of Berani – an adult male Sumatran tiger who died earlier this month.
In what the zoo calls "a bittersweet story of the 'Circle of Life,'” Berani is the father of the cub, the zoo said in a statement.
The cub was born in a secluded den on Sept. 6 where it stayed isolated with its mother being watched through closed-circuit cameras.
"Because it is important for mother and cub to have minimal disturbance, zoo veterinarians waited to perform their first exam until it was necessary to administer vaccinations at 8 weeks old," zoo leaders explain in the release.
Along with being vaccinated, the cub got a general physical exam, had a microchip implanted for identification and had its sex verified – female.
"Though the cub has made it through the most critical time of her young life and she appears to be developing well, she will remain in seclusion with her mother for an as of yet undetermined amount of time before making her public debut to ensure they are well established," zoo leaders wrote.
A statement from Zoo Goodwill Ambassador/Communications Director Ron Magill showed how thankful the zoo staff were for the gift of new life, CBS News reports.
"On this Thanksgiving, all of us at Zoo Miami are not only thankful for this precious new life, but for all of the things that make our zoo family as well as the rest of our families and friends so special," he wrote in the statement. "Though the cub appears to be very strong and healthy, these first few months present the greatest challenges in any animal's life so she will be carefully monitored by the Animal Science and Animal Health Departments to ensure she is meeting all the metrics for continued healthy development."
This marks the third cub for 11-year-old Leeloo. She gave birth to a male cub named "Satu" back in November 2015 and a female cub named "N’dari" in 2021. Berani is the father of all three cubs.
The 15-year-old tiger father had been lethargic and had lost his appetite before he was euthanized.
A series of tests initially indicated that he was severely anemic and dehydrated. However, additional tests and procedures, including radiographs, ultrasounds, blood and urine collection, revealed he had cancer.
"Sadly, due to his advanced age and an extremely poor prognosis for any improvement, the very difficult decision was made to humanely euthanize him to provide him the dignity in death that he displayed throughout his life," the zoo previously wrote in a statement.
As of now, there are only 73 Sumatran tigers in all zoos across the U.S. Altogether, there are believed to be fewer than 500 Sumatran tigers in the wild, Zoo Miami explains.
10 Tampa Bay's previous coverage contributed to this report.
