Berani, Zoo Miami's Sumatran tiger, dies after battling spleen cancer: 'magnificent cat'
MIAMI — Berani, Zoo Miami's Sumatran tiger, has died, the zoo announced on Friday. He was 15 1/2 years old.
According to Zoo Miami, Berani had been "very lethargic" and had a lost of appetite over the last several days, forcing zoo officials to immobilize him and bring him into its Animal Hospital on Tuesday for a series of examinations and tests.
The zoo stated that initial indications suggested he was "severely anemic and dehydrated," but further testing and other medical procedures revealed that Berani had an enlarged spleen as well as kidney abnormalities. However, Zoo Miami's Animal Health team needed to await the results of additional tests to better diagnose him and find the cause of the issues.
On Thursday afternoon, Zoo Miami found out that test results revealed that Berani had cancer of the spleen. But unfortunately, they had to make a "very difficult decision" and humanely euthanize him because of his advanced age and an "extremely poor prognosis." Zoo Miami stated that their decision was to "provide him the dignity in death that he displayed throughout his life."
"In addition, as we sadly announce his passing, we will soon be announcing something much more uplifting that will only add to this magnificent cat's legacy," Zoo Miami stated.
Berani was born at the San Francisco Zoo in March 2008 and came to Zoo Miami via the Montgomery Zoo in Alabama in 2013 as part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) recommendation. He was paired with a female tiger named Leeloo and they had a male cub together named Satu in 2015, along with a female cub named Ndari in 2021.
According to Zoo Miami, there are believed to be less than 500 Sumatran tigers left in the wild, where they are found in forested areas on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Their biggest threats are habitat loss due to palm oil plantations and poaching. Also, they are the smallest subspecies of tiger, as males grow to about 300 lbs. and females around 200 lbs.
Zoo Miami is one of the very few zoos in the world that has successfully bred this critically endangered species, the zoo stated. Additionally, Zoo Miami has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to Sumatran tiger conservation in Indonesia as part of "its commitment to ensure their survival for future generations."