Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
yesterday

Heidelberg Zoo Euthanizes 16-Year-Old Sumatran Tiger Tebo After Health Decline

The zoo said the welfare-based decision followed worsening joint disease despite treatment.

Image
Im Zoo von Heidelberg ist ein 16 Jahre alter Sumatratiger eingeschläfert worden. Tebo litt an einer schmerzhaften Gelenkserkrankung und verweigerte zuletzt sein Futter. Auch tierärztliche Behandlungen besserten seinen Zustand nicht.

Overview

  • Veterinarians reported a stiff, limping gait, loss of appetite, little play behavior, and withdrawal in recent weeks.
  • The zoo team decided in early September to end his suffering after his condition deteriorated further under medical care.
  • Tigress Karis has been seen repeatedly searching the enclosure for her long-time companion, according to the zoo.
  • Tebo and Karis successfully raised five cubs across three litters, and the offspring now live in other zoos within the breeding program.
  • At 16, Tebo was considered elderly for the species; he was born in 2009 at Naturzoo Rheine, moved to Heidelberg in 2015, and Sumatran tigers remain highly endangered with an estimated up to around 600 in the wild.