Tiger kills potential mate

LONDON — For 10 days, the London Zoo kept its new male Sumatran tiger Asim in a separate enclosure from Melati, the female tiger who was supposed to become his mate.

Zoologists gave them time to get used to each other’s presence and smells. On Friday, they put the two tigers into the same enclosure — and Asim killed Melati as shocked handlers tried to intervene.

“Everyone here at ZSL London Zoo is devastated by the loss of Melati, and we are heartbroken by this turn of events,” the zoo said in a statement.

Associated Press file photo Melati, a 10-year-old female Sumatran tiger at the London Zoo, was killed by a potential mate.