Male tiger kills female in breeding intro at Tacoma zoo

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Officials say a female Sumatran tiger from Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma has died after another tiger attacked her during a breeding introduction. The News Tribune reports 6-year-old female tiger Kirana died Monday. The zoo’s head veterinarian Dr. Karen Wolf said a necropsy completed Monday confirmed Kirana died from substantial trauma from injuries and a bacterial infection. Zoo general curator Dr. Karen Goodrowe said some aggression is natural in tiger breeding but this level was far beyond expectations. There are only about 400 Sumatran tigers left in the wild on the Indonesian island of Sumatra and fewer than living in North American zoos.