BBC world daily hot news collection: Asia New Zealand zoo killer tiger 'will not be put down'

Monday, September 21, 2015

Oz the tiger at Hamilton Zoo (2006) — Image captionOz is one of five tigers at Hamilton Zoo and part of a breeding programme

A tiger which killed its keeper at a New Zealand zoo on Sunday will not be put down, say officials.

Samantha Kudeweh, 43 and a senior staff member, was killed by Hamilton Zoo's male Sumatran tiger called Oz.

No details have been released of how the incident happened, but city officials said on Monday there was "no reason" to euthanise Oz.

Lance Vervoort said he was "a significant animal for his species" and vital to the breeding programme.

Samantha Kudeweh, Hamilton Zoo Curator — Image captionMs Kudeweh's family said she was a "passionate conservationist"

"Although there is an inherent risk for zoo professionals who manage big cats like Oz, there is no wider ongoing risk," said Mr Vervoort a Hamilton City Council, general manager.

"This is our call, and the decision on Oz rested solely with us."

Ms Kudeweh, a mother of two who was married to another zoo professional, had more than 20 years experience working in zoos, and was second-in-charge at Hamilton Zoo.

Her family described her as a "passionate conservationist".

Sign of Hamilton Zoo, New Zealand (20 Sept 2015) — Image captionThe zoo has not yet said whether Oz will go back on show to the public when they re-open later this week

Several investigations are under way at the zoo, and officials have not confirmed whether Ms Kudeweh was authorised to be in the enclosure with Oz.

But Mr Vervoort said the widely held view was that Oz had acted in line with his natural instincts.

He said the team was still coming to terms with the incident, and thanked "the zoo industry worldwide" for its support.

Hamilton Zoo will remain closed until Thursday. Officials have not said whether Oz will go back on show to the public with the zoo's four other tigers.