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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- One of the Hogle Zoo's three new Siberian tiger cubs is dead.
The male cub, born with two siblings at the zoo on Feb. 16, apparently suffered from birth defects. Its heart failed on Wednesday afternoon, Hogle Zoo officials said in a statement released on Thursday.
The cub was said to be the friendliest one in the litter, which made him a favorite with zoo visitors. But animal experts at the zoo say the little cub's playfulness could have been an indicator of its developmental difficulties.
"As tiger cubs grow, they develop more aggressive behavior. While his brother and sister showed this natural aggressiveness, this cub remained more playful and agreeable," the zoo statement said.
The cub also had a birth defect in his right eye.
The litter was born to Hogle Zoo's 7-year-old tiger Tiksi.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
