Two tiger siblings were euthanized at Tierpark Berlin in just over two weeks due to health problems.
"We mourn the Sumatran tiger Willi," wrote the zoo on Instagram. After his sister Kiara "had to be put to sleep on July 12 due to a rapidly declining state of health", a computer tomography examination has now also shown significant deterioration in the right knee joint of tomcat Willi. After intensive consultation with many of those involved, it was "with a heavy heart that we came to the conclusion that we had to relieve the hangover of its pain," it said.
According to the information, Kiara and Willi belonged to quadruplets who were born four years ago at Tierpark Berlin and had a knee deformity that led to problems in movement. The cause is therefore a genetic disease of the tiger father Harfan, who has since died. In the meantime, a new Sumatran tiger named Jae Jae has moved into the zoo. Together with the quadruplet mother Mayang, he is supposed to provide for further offspring of the big cats, which are threatened with extinction.
