Female tiger killed at zoo while being introduced to male

Telegraph

9 hours ago

A female tiger was killed at a British zoo while being introduced to a male.
Marwell Zoo, near Winchester in Hampshire, said Valentina, an eight-year-old Amur tiger, sustained fatal injuries before the zoo opened.
Zookeepers sought to introduce Pasha, a male tiger, to the 'much-loved' Valentina, a process that the zoo acknowledged 'always carries significant risk'.
Valentina had been at the zoo for five years, arriving in 2020 from Hodonin Zoo in the Czech Republic.
In a statement on social media, the zoo paid tribute to the 'much-loved and charismatic character of the zoo family who captured the hearts of our teams and guests alike'.
It said: 'Introducing big cats always carries significant risk both in zoos and in the wild. Since Pasha's arrival in February, our animal teams have been observing both tigers closely and had noticed encouraging behaviours with no signs of aggression.
'Our expert teams were monitoring the situation closely, were well-prepared, and acted swiftly to draw Pasha away. However, due to the speed and nature of the incident, it was not possible for our highly-experienced team to intervene, and Valentina had already been fatally injured.'
Pasha was not severely injured during the altercation. He had arrived at Marwell as a five-year-old from Port Lympne Safari Park in Kent, and was said to have 'settled quickly', as he was spotted interacting with Valentina through the fence line between their habitats.
Valentina had previously been mixed with a male tiger called Bagai shortly after arriving at the zoo.
Bagai, who arrived at Marwell from Germany's Zoological Garden in 2013, died in June last year. He was described by Carrie Arnold, the carnivore team leader at Marwell Zoo, as 'lovable, goofy and cheeky'.
The two tigers were said to have been very close, and often 'spent time grooming, playing and sleeping together'.
The zoo said Valentina would be 'deeply missed' by the keepers, veterinary team and guests. Laura Read, the chief executive, said staff were feeling 'shock, grief and sadness'.
'I am incredibly proud of our team and the way they responded to the incident and aftermath of it,' she said. 'Our number one priority now is to look after our people and help them through the next few days and weeks.'
She confirmed that the zoo would remain part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria programme for Amur tigers, which are the largest of the big cat breeds.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the species as endangered, with approximately 3,000 mature individuals left in the wild.