Lioness killed minutes after being introduced to lion

Tuesday 1st January 2002

A female lion has been mauled to death by a male lion minutes after Boston zookeepers put them together.

The pair were placed into the same holding yard in hopes of getting them used to living in the same holding area.

The Franklin Park Zoo didn't think the lioness, known as Binti Mafuta, would inspire aggression between Chris and Cliff, the newly-adopted males, because she'd been spayed.

The two were slowly introduced to her smell, and Cliff, the less aggressive, seemed a candidate for introduction. Staff members used pepper spray, fire extinguishers and water hoses to repel him, but were unable to save her.

"I can assure you, it broke all the zookeepers' hearts," said Peter Wilson, treasurer of the zoo board. "She was a lovely lion."

Copyright © 2002 Ananova Ltd

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