Melati a female Sumatran Tiger, was killed by a male tiger zookeepers hoped would be her "perfect mate". Phtoo / AP
A potential courtship ended in tragedy Friday at the London Zoo, where staff say a female Sumatran tiger was killed by a male they once hoped would be her "perfect mate".
The zoo detailed the harrowing turn of events in a statement posted to their website Friday. They said the
male tiger, Asim, arrived at the zoo 10 days before as part of a breeding programme and was placed in a separate enclosure next to the female, Melati. This granted them time to smell, see and react to one another.
Big-cat introductions could be perilous, even with diligent preparation, the zoo said. On Friday, zookeepers opened the barrier separating their enclosures, optimistic they'd begin the breeding process after showing "obvious" positive signs.
The two animals were wary of each other at first - a normal development, according to the zoo. When they began to interact, however, the cats' caution turned into aggression.
"Zoo staff immediately implemented their prepared response, using loud noises, flares and alarms to try to distract the pair, but Asim had already overpowered Melati," the zoo said. Keepers were able to restrain Asim, but Melati died from the attack.
