Tiger Cub Gaining Weight After Zoo Miami Scare
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Staff at Zoo Miami have begun to see progress with the newest member of the tiger family born less than a month ago.
A highly endangered Sumatran tiger cub, born November 14th, is now receiving supplemental feedings after park staff began to notice the cub abruptly lose weight.
"After two weeks of consistent weight gain and what appeared to be excellent progress, the cub experienced several days of weight loss that became a critical concern of zoo management," said Zoo Goodwill Ambassador and Communications Director Ron Magill. "The belief is that this single cub is not creating enough nursing stimulation and therefore, the mother's milk production is beginning to dry up. This is not an uncommon occurrence in first-time mothers with single cubs."
Staff has begun to separate the cub from its mother for additional bottle feedings and say the cub is showing improvement and gaining weight.
They're also relieved that the mother has been tolerant of the procedure and willing to accept the cub back into her care after each feeding.
"It is through the careful observations and dedicated care from the staff that this cub is once again thriving as it would probably not have survived in the wild," said Magill.
Due to the weather, Zoo Miami closed Saturday at 11 a.m.
