A Sumatran tiger was killed by her mating partner within minutes of the pair being introduced for the first time for breeding at the Sacramento Zoo.
Mohan, the 12-year-old male tiger, became aggressive with the 15-year-old Baha minutes after a physical introduction, the zoo said in a statement reported on by
The Associated Press.
Baha was in an outdoor enclosure to which Mohan was allowed access, said the
Sacramento Bee. Within two minutes after Mohan entered, he became aggressive with Baha,
Staff monitoring the introduction from outside the enclosure used a water hose and fire extinguishers to separate the animals, said the AP. Once the male tiger was secured, veterinarians rushed to help Baha, but she had already died, officials said.
They said that since arriving at the zoo from Tennessee in December, Mohan had had visual contact with Baha.
Staff decided to introduce them because the tigers' behavior indicated it was the proper time.
A team of zoo staff members monitored various aspects of the tigers’ behavior, including vocalizations and the amount of time they spent watching and smelling each other through the mesh barrier that separated their enclosures, Kyle Burks, the zoo’s CEO, told the Bee. Based on those observations, they determined that the two tigers were ready to be physically introduced to each other in the same enclosure Wednesday morning.
Aggression between tigers is rare, Burks said, but added that it does occur between tigers in captivity.
Baha had been at the Sacramento Zoo since 2002 and had successfully bred with three other partners, giving birth to five offspring, said the AP
Mohan, who is on loan from a zoo in Memphis as part of a tiger breeding program, had also successfully bred before with other partners, the zoo said.
"We are truly devastated at the passing of Baha," said Matt McKim, the zoo's animal collection director. "Not only was she a wonderful ambassador and a truly attentive mother, she was a one-of-a-kind tiger that inspired many."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.