Smuggled tiger undergoes emergency surgery in California
A Bengal tiger cub that was smuggled into California from Mexico has undergone emergency surgery to fix internal problems he probably had before being rescued.
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park says the male cub, named Moka, had the operation on Tuesday and appears to be recovering but he’ll remain under observation.
The park says Moka had abdominal adhesions and recently had shown signs of ill health.
Tigers are endangered and it’s illegal to import them without a permit.
Moka was six weeks old when he was found on the floor of a car last August at a San Diego border checkpoint.
He was handed over to the park.
The driver, who’d claimed he bought the cub as a pet, was sentenced to six months in prison.
