A female zoo worker was killed by a captive Sumatran tiger at the Hamilton Zoo in New Zealand, according to the Hamilton City Council in New Zealand. The zoo is working with the New Zealand Police and the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries and Workplace Safety to investigate the death.
The Zoo was swift to counter fears that any of its animals had escaped captitivity. “At no time today have any zoo animals NOT been contained. There has been no risk to visitors at the zoo today or the public,” reads the statement. The zoo will remain closed until at least Thursday for the investigation — and also to “arrange for a blessing of the site.” The male tiger, named Oz, remains in his enclosure. Very few Sumatran tigers are still alive (the WWF believes the number is less than 400) and the species is listed as Critically Endangered.
A worker feeding a Sumatran tiger at the Hamilton Zoo:
