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Killer tiger Oz gets reprieve in New Zealand

September 21, 2015

Officials at New Zealand's Hamilton Zoo have said they won't euthanize a Sumatran tiger that mauled a veteran zookeeper. The tiger's attack was "in line with his natural instincts," zoo officials said in a statement.

https://p.dw.com/p/1Ga2O
A tiger advertising sign is seen outside Hamilton Zoo after a female zookeeper was killed by one of the tigers at the zoo in Hamilton, New Zealand Sunday Sept. 20, 2015 (Photo: Nick Reed/New Zealand Herald via AP)
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/N. Reed/New Zealand Herald

Samantha Kudaweh, who had been a zookeeper for more than 20 years, was attacked Sunday morning by Oz, a Sumatran male tiger, inside the animal's enclosure at the Hamilton Zoo, south of Auckland.

The zoo, operated by the Hamilton City Council, houses five Sumatran tigers. In a statement, zoo officials described Kudaweh's death as a tragedy, but said they would not euthanize the tiger.

"Although there is an inherent risk for zoo professionals who manage big cats like Oz, there is no wider ongoing risk - there is no reason for us to put Oz down," Lance Vervoot, the council's community general manager, said in a statement.

"This is our call, and the decision on Oz rested solely with us. Oz is a significant animal for his species, He is the father of our two cubs, and he is vital to the ongoing breeding program to conserve this rare species," he added.

There are only 500 Sumatran tigers left in the wild, 400 of which are living on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Vervoot said "the widely held view among zoo professionals was that Oz's attack on Samantha was line with his natural instincts."

More than 5,000 people have signed an online petition urging zoo authorities to not kill Oz. A Facebook page, "Help Save Oz," had received more than 10,000 likes since Sunday.

shs/msh (AFP, AP)