A female Sumatran tiger at a Washington state zoo died as a result of injuries she suffered from a male she was paired with in a breeding program intended to boost the endangered feline's numbers.
Zookeepers at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma confirmed that six-year-old Kirana died on Monday morning 'after experiencing severe injuries during a breeding introduction.'
The zoo was attempting to arrange a mating between Raja, a two-year-old male, and Kirana, which led to her 'life-threatening injuries.'
'When tigers breed, it's natural for them to spar with each other and there is typically some level of aggression,' curator Karen Goodrowe said in the statement.
'This level of aggression [from Raja] was far beyond what we would expect with tiger introductions.'
Head veterinarian Karen Wolf said a necropsy confirmed substantial trauma from Kirana's injuries, as well as a bacterial infection.
Sumatran tigers are considered critically endangerfed, with only 400 estimated in the wild and another 250 in captivity around the world.
Point Defiance has introduced four Sumatran tiger pairs since 2010 with no deaths or serious injury, according to Goodrowe.
'We're devastated by the loss of a very special tiger and by the loss to the tiger population as a whole,' she added.
Kirana, a six-year-old female, died on Monday morning 'after experiencing severe injuries' during a breeding introduction at Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Washington
Zookeepers slowly set the pair up over months with 'the utmost care,' according to the statement.
Kirana and Raja were first moved near each other 'so they had visual and smell access while still being physically separated by a mesh door.'
The team looked for fence-rubbing and other positive signs that they were attracted to and comfortable with each other.
When they saw Kirana in distress, handlers quickly distracted Raja and separated the pair.
The veterinary and animal care teams immediately addressed Kirana's life-threatening injuries, 'providing supportive care and closely monitoring her around-the-clock over the weekend,' the zoo said.
Even though Kirana's health improved on Sunday, she passed away Monday morning.
'She was improving bit by bit and
