Toronto Zoo Loses Another Endangered Tiger Cub Ten Days After The Passing Of 1st One

On May 21, the Toronto Zoo was regret to announce the devastating loss of a tiger cub (Small) after she was born on April 30, 2021. Her mother, Mazyria, an Amur tiger, gave birth to other two cubs, but one of them passed away due to severe liver damage. Small was the second cub of the litter, and it was sad to know there was only one baby remaining.

Image source: The Toronto Zoo

Despite being cared for by the zoo staff, Small failed to gain weight. The zoo's medical team finally found out that the cub suffered from severe heart disease. CT scan showed that her main heart's chamber has a hole, which caused damage to the lungs and heart. In addition, a key blood vessel was coming from the wrong side of the organ. Those problems were too complex to be repaired.

Image source: The Toronto Zoo

Therefore, on Friday, Small's battle with the disease came to an end - she was euthanized 'humanly', as the zoo reported on their Facebook post on the same day.
The tragic passing of the baby Amur Tiger was sad news. Conservationalists are concerned about the species population which will continue to decrease in the future. Amur Tiger is listed as one of the endangered species. During the 1940s, there were only 40 individuals in the world. Thanks to good breeding, their population is currently about 450 tigers, found only in certain parts of Russia and China. However, it is still necessary to protect and conserve this species. Scientists suggest that Amur Tigers should be raised in captivity in order to increase their number and their lifespan.

Image source: The Toronto Zoo

After the loss of the two tiger cubs, the zoo said that they are closely monitoring the third baby Amur tiger, named Mazy. She is healthy and continues to thrive at the moment. We hope that she will grow up healthy and safe.

Image source: The Toronto Zoo

H/T: thekoalabears.com