PITTSBURGH (AP) - Officials say the oldest male tiger has died at the Pittsburgh Zoo a day after a baby elephant born prematurely was euthanized.
The Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium says 18-year-old Taiga died Thursday of complications from a diaphragmatic hernia. The zoo says Taiga had been immobilized for a routine procedure earlier in the day and suddenly died that afternoon.
The zoo says a necropsy found the hernia within the stomach and intestines in the chest cavity that “had been there for some time” and impeded the animal’s breathing. The zoo says X-rays taken eight months ago showed no abnormalities.
Officials say a 3-month-old female African elephant born prematurely in May was euthanized Wednesday after failing to gain enough weight despite responding favorably to a feeding tube.
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