'Deep sadness' as 'much-loved and charismatic' Amur tiger dies after sustaining fatal injuries during introduction with male tiger at Marwell

Marwell Zoo has today (July 1) shared the tragic news that Valentina, a ‘much loved’ female Amur tiger at the zoo, has died from fatal injuries during an introduction with Pasha, a male tiger.

A statement on the zoo’s social media said: “Unfortunately, Valentina sustained fatal injuries during an introduction with our male tiger, Pasha. Valentina was a much-loved and charismatic character of the zoo family, who captured the hearts of our teams and guests alike.

“Introducing big cats always carries significant risk both in zoos and in the wild. Since Pasha’s arrival in February, our animal teams have been observing both tigers closely and had noticed encouraging behaviours with no signs of aggression.

“Our expert teams were monitoring the situation closely, were well-prepared, and acted swiftly to draw Pasha away. However, due to the speed and nature of the incident, it was not possible for our highly-experienced team to intervene and Valentina had already been fatally injured.”

Valentina, who was eight-years-old, arrived at the zoo from the Czech Republic back in 2020 and she was mixed with the previous male, Bagai.

The post added: “She will be deeply missed by her keepers, who formed a strong bond with her, our veterinary team, wider Marwell teams and our guests. We do ask at this difficult time that our teams are given the necessary time to process this situation. Our priority is the wellbeing of our teams and ensuring Pasha receives the care he needs.”

The zoo has also confirmed that Pasha was ‘not severely injured during the altercation’.