Big-cat introductions can be perilous, even with diligent preparation, the zoo said. On Friday, zookeepers opened the barrier separating their enclosures, optimistic the two would begin the breeding process after showing “obvious” positive signs.

AD

The animals were wary of each other at first — a normal development, according to the zoo. When they began to interact, however, the cats’ caution turned into aggression.

AD

“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. Keepers were able to restrain Asim, but Melati died from the attack.

Rob Vernon, a spokesman for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in the United States, said it is impossible to predict the outcomes of these encounters.

"Nature also has it own agenda, and sometimes introductions don’t go as planned — and it sounds like that’s what happened in London,” he said. “I’m sure the folks in London are just heartbroken. There’s so few tigers left — to lose even one, in such a dramatic way — I’m sure they’re heartbroken.”

AD

On its website, the London Zoo lists the Sumatran tiger as the “rarest and smallest subspecies of tiger in the world.” Their skins fetch a high price on the black market, making the critically endangered cats a target for illegal hunting, the zoo adds.

AD

The staff is “devastated” and recouping after Friday’s drastic turn of events.

The London Zoo welcomed Asim on Jan. 29, writing in a post that the tiger — who was moved to the zoo from Ree Park Safari in Denmark — was a “handsome, confident cat who is known for being very affectionate with the ladies in his life.”

Asim and Melati were matched through the European Endangered Species Program for Sumatran tigers, which seeks to rescue the cats from near extinction, the zoo said.

AD

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.