Zookeeper killed by Sumatran male tiger in New Zealand: officials
A zookeeper in Hamilton, New Zealand was killed Saturday when a Sumatran tiger lunged at her, police officials said. The Hamilton Zoo employee was attacked after opening a gate to allow the zoo’s three tigers to enter a public viewing area at about 11 a.m. local time Sunday, officials told the New Zealand Herald . “Sadly the staff member who was attacked by the tiger has died at the scene,” Senior Sgt. Juliet Burgess wrote of the "tragic incident" in a statement. The victim's name was not immediately released. City officials confirmed that a 10-year-old tiger named "Oz" was behind the mauling, a male tiger brought to Hamilton from Australia in 2013 for breeding. Investigators were trying to determine what may have turned a routine exercise into a deadly encounter. Moments after the attack, a “panicky” staff asked all patrons to leave the zoo, witnesses said. Oz is one of five of rare Sumatran tigers housed at the zoo, two