'Majestic species': Texas zoo mourns the death of Neb, a 17-year-old white tiger

A Texas zoo is mourning the death of an endangered tiger after staff noticed the animal was deteriorating due to old age, the zoo announced Monday.

Gladys Porter Zoo veterinary staff euthanized Neb, a 17-year-old white tiger, as medical remedies couldn't resolve the tiger's severe mobility issues, the zoo wrote in a Monday Facebook post. The zoo, which is based in the U.S.-Mexico border town of Brownsville, acquired Neb in 2008 after the tiger was rescued from a wildlife trafficking operation.

Zoo Director Pat Burchfield said in the post that Neb symbolized resilience and hope, as white tigers typically live up to 15 years old.

"Despite a rough start in life, his relative longevity is a testament to the wonderful care he received from our veterinary team and his keepers, who loved him dearly," Burchfield said. "He inspired an appreciation for his majestic species in countless visitors to our zoo."

Veterinary staff gave the tiger laser treatments, daily pain medication and natural anti-inflammatory remedies to help ease the animal's discomfort, the zoo wrote. For the animal's sleeping area, staff gave the tiger extra soft bedding and matting to make it easier for him to climb onto a sleeping bench.

Neb's condition didn't improve and he was euthanized. The zoo wrote that his companion, Hobbes, is also 17 years old and experiencing mobility issues, too. The tigers aren't a subspecies of tiger but instead are either a Bengal or Siberian tiger with a genetic mutation called leucism, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

White tigers' uniqueness makes them endangered

The conservation status of tigers is highly dependent on the subspecies. The Gladys Porter Zoo wrote that all tiger subspecies are listed as either endangered or critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

White tigers are endangered in the sense that the animal exists because of a rare genetic mutation, according to the IFAW. There's a one in 10,000 chance a tiger can be a genetic tiger.

But the animals still face mistreatment as trainers capture and breed the mammals, then typically keep them for entertainment.

"These white tigers are often inbred, which results in poor health conditions - including deformities, heart defects, and crossed eyes - and a high mortality rate," according to the website.

The white tiger exists only in captivity, in the care of zoos, circuses, rescues, sanctuaries and private residences.

America's beloved animals bring mourning periods

Neb isn't the only animal whose death tugged at people's heartstrings.

In Missouri, a bald eagle that fostered a rock as though it were an egg was killed when a tornado struck the World Bird Sanctuary on March 15. Murphy, a 33-year-old male bald eagle, was found dead in his aviary after severe storms swept through the St. Louis Area. The eagle lived at the sanctuary as a permanent wing injury prevented it from flying, the sanctuary said.

In Iowa, a zoo euthanized a 3-week-old cotton-top tamarin monkey in mid-March after the primate was found in declining health, the Des Moines' Blank Park Zoo said. Staff euthanized the infant monkey due to its condition. The monkey is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN.

In Connecticut, a gray seal pup found roaming the streets of New Haven died in early March from severe gastrointestinal issues. The seal pup caught the nation's attention after the New Haven Police Department shared a photo of the animal on the city's streets. People affectionately named it Chappy, after it was reported that the seal was found on Chapel Street.

In California, the real-life donkey model for the "Shrek" animal movie character died on Jan. 2, the Barron Park Donkey Project in the San Francisco Bay Area said. Perry, the 30-year-old donkey, fought pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, laminitis, arthritis and muscle atrophy leading up to his death. "Shrek" animators used Perry, a Jerusalem miniature donkey, to help understand how the character Donkey should be animated.

Contributing: Saleen Martin, Greta Cross, USA TODAY; Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez, Des Moines Register

Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at knurse@USATODAY.com. Follow her on X @KrystalRNurse, and on BlueSky @krystalrnuse.bsky.social.