Melati, a female Sumatran tiger, was killed by a male tiger zookeepers hoped would be her "perfect mate." They said the male tiger, Asim, arrived at the zoo 10 days before as part of a breeding program and was placed in a separate enclosure next to the female, Melati. On Friday, zookeepers opened the barrier separating their enclosures, optimistic they’d begin the breeding process after showing “obvious” positive signs. “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. They seemed to be interested in each other early on, making sounds indicating they had “good intentions.”“We’re hoping he’ll be the perfect mate for our beautiful Melati," the zoo wrote.

Source: Washington Post February 09, 2019 11:00 UTC