Tiger kills mate at San Diego Zoo
A male tiger has killed a four-year-old female mate it had only just met at a zoo in California.
Malayan tiger Connor was introduced to female Tiga Tahun at San Diego Zoo on Saturday during their first mating season.
AFP reports that everything was going routinely but "this changed quickly and zookeepers were unable to separate the two animals," said zoo spokesman Jennifer Mehlow.
According to CBS News, Tiga Tahun was fatally mauled by Connor and died of neck injuries and breathing difficulties.
No visitors saw the attack.
Christina Simmons, of San Diego Zoo Global, told ABC 15: "Tigers, like many large carnivores, can have some very aggressive behaviours as part of their breeding behaviour.
"It does sometimes occur that they will injure each other in the wild as well during these breeding bouts. This is part of the reason that normally these large carnivores live as solitary animals and generally only come together during a breeding season."
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