At a zoo, a dicey attempt at tiger matchmaking went awry.
The ZSL London Zoo said Friday that a new male Sumatran tiger, Asim, killed the facility’s “beloved” female, Melati. Zookeepers allowed the two wary predators to physically interact for the first time, hoping they would eventually mate as part of a greater European breeding program.
But after Asim approached Melati, matters “quickly escalated into a more aggressive interaction,” the zoo said.
Today our beloved Sumatran tigress Melati died while being introduced to new male Asim for the first time. Everyone at ZSL London Zoo is heartbroken by this turn of events. Tiger Territory will remain closed while our team focus on caring for Asim: https://t.co/KAoW0rziPN pic.twitter.com/CHcVKKMdz4
— ZSL London Zoo (@zsllondonzoo) February 8, 2019 Read more…
More about Science, Animals, Zoo, Tigers, and Science