Gladys Porter Zoo's 17-Year-Old Rescued White Tiger Neb Passes Away

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Glady's Porter Zoo announced the heartbreaking death of Neb, their beloved 17-year-old white tiger, who had been suffering from advanced mobility issues

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Neb was rescued in 2008 from wildlife traffickers who were attempting to sell him in a Walmart parking lot as part of an illegal exotic animal operation.

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Zoo veterinarians provided specialized care including twice-weekly laser treatments to reduce inflammation and increase comfort for the aging tiger.

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Neb's dedicated keepers added extra soft bedding and special matting in his quarters to help minimize the effort needed for the senior tiger to move around.

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Despite intensive supportive care, zoo staff documented Neb's declining mobility, including a noticeable limp and occasional loss of balance.

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The difficult decision to humanely euthanize Neb was made jointly by his animal care team and veterinary staff after his quality of life significantly deteriorated.

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Neb's story highlights the ongoing battle against illegal wildlife trafficking, with all tiger subspecies currently listed as endangered or critically endangered.

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The International Union for Conservation of Nature identifies poaching and habitat loss as the biggest threats facing the world's remaining wild tigers.

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[{"selector":"#anim-686ad5a7-bf33-499d-a052-a399f8e94a48","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-84f32c68-4b75-43df-a8a2-2987bb468e02","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60a1e93c-5c36-4e57-a41f-42e50bb45527","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-767fa26d-78cf-40bd-84a1-f575047e8a14","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d4f48130-7530-4c4b-8cd7-06166fa422d0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.2381%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] India's Tigers Double to 3,682 Amid Challenges Learn more