‘Perfect mate’ kills tiger

A potential courtship ended in tragedy on Saturday at the London Zoo, where staff say female Sumatran tiger Melati was killed by Asim, a male they once hoped would be her ‘‘perfect mate.’’ Zookeepers opened the barrier separating their enclosures, optimistic they would begin the breeding process after showing ‘‘obvious’’ positive signs. When they began to interact, however, the cats’ caution turned into aggression. Keepers were able to restrain Asim, but Melati died from the attack.