TEHRAN, Iran — A Siberian tiger sent to the Tehran zoo as part of an exchange program with Russia has died after being fed contaminated meat, a senior Iranian official said.
The tiger, which was loaned in exchange for two leopards, died two weeks ago, Mohammad Javad Mohammadizadeh, head of Iran’s environmental department, said Sunday, the semiofficial Fars news agency reported.
It was not immediately clear what would happen to the leopards.
The news came as the zoo put down 14 lions diagnosed with glanders, an infectious bacterial disease that could affect visitors.
Mohammadizadeh said the tiger ate bad meat but its death could also be related to the glanders.
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