Point Defiance Zoo tiger cub Berani and his “foster brother” Dumai reunited at the zoo this morning, the first time the two have seen each other since Berani’s critical illness last week.
Six-month-old Berani became lethargic last week and stopped eating. He received emergency surgery and around-the-clock intensive care for four days. His condition has improved and he was released from the zoo’s Animal Health Care clinic a week ago.
“He was on life support. He was a pretty sick little guy,” said Dr. Karen Wolf, the zoo’s head veterinarian. “His recovery is truly amazing.”
Zoo veterinarians say they are still investigating cause of Berani’s illness.
Both Berani and Dumai are members of endangered species. They’ve been hand-reared together since October and are learning tiger behaviors from each other.
