LONDON — Staff members at London Zoo were “heartbroken” after a high-risk matchmaking operation involving two rare Sumatran tigers went horribly wrong on Friday. The male’s deadly mauling of the female tiger soon after they met drew an outpouring of reactions on social media. But one question was paramount: Could the tragedy have been avoided? The animals had been paired as possible mates as part of a European-wide conservation effort for the critically endangered subspecies. Melati, who had raised five cubs with another tiger, never survived the encounter.

Source: New York Times February 10, 2019 16:52 UTC