Zoo spares tiger who killed zookeeper

Monday, September 21, 2015, 8:28 AM - The tiger who killed a zookeeper in New Zealand will be not euthanized, according to officials in the New Zealand city of Hamilton.

Oz, a Sumatran tiger at the Hamilton Zoo, apparently attacked and killed zookeeper Samantha Kudeweh Sunday morning. The Sydney Morning Herald says she died at the scene. 

Early Monday, the Hamilton City Council released a statement Oz would not be put down.

"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 Vervoort, the city's general manager community, said in a release.

Vervoort called Kudeweh's death a "tragedy for the wider zoo family and international wildlife conservation community."

The zoo was evacuated when the attack occurred. Although it is scheduled to reopen on Thursday, no decision has been made on whether Oz will be on display as normal.

Sumatran tigers, named for the Indonesian island which is their main habitat, are considered critically endangered, one step above extinction in the wild. Fewer than 500 are believed to survive.

Oz, who came to the zoo in 2013, is one of five Sumatran tigers who reside there, and the zoo seems to have taken the species' plight into account when making its decision.

"Oz is a significant animal for his species," Vervoort says. "He is the father of our two cubs, and he is vital to the ongoing breeding programme to conserve this rare species."

SOURCES: Hamilton City Council | Sydney Morning Herald | Hamilton Zoo | IUCN Red List | Thumbnail credit: Hamilton City Council

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