Female tiger killed by male tiger at Marwell Zoo
Staff say the incident happened so quickly they were unable to intervene
A female tiger has been killed by a male tiger at Marwell Zoo.
8-year-old Valentina suffered fatal injuries after being introduced to Pasha.
Staff say their had been encouraging behaviour and no sign of aggression, and the incident happened so quickly they were unable to intervene.
In a statement on their Facebook Page, Marwell Zoo said:
"Valentina was a much-loved and charismatic character of the zoo family, who captured the hearts of our teams and guests alike.
"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."
Valentina, aged eight, arrived from Hodonin Zoo, Czech Republic in 2020, and was mixed with our previous male tiger Bagai shortly after.
Staff added: "She will be deeply missed by her keepers, who formed a strong bond with her, our veterinary team, wider Marwell teams and our guests.
"We do ask at this difficult time that our teams are given the necessary time to process this situation. Our priority is the wellbeing of our teams and ensuring Pasha receives the care he needs."