Lion kills potential mate at German zoo
Date: 13-Mar-02
Country: GERMANY
Leipzig zoo introduced the three-year-old lion and his brother to the two-year-old female at the weekend in the hope they would breed.
"It went fine with the first lion, but with the second, his brother, it was quite different," said a spokesman for the zoo in eastern Germany.
"He suddenly bit the lioness. A number of keepers used sticks and hoses to separate the pair, but it was all over in a matter of seconds.
Visitors to the zoo on Saturday were spared the attack, which happened in an area closed to the public.
"There's always a risk with these meetings," the spokesman added. "We're now looking for another lioness."