Rare tiger dies during fight at Longleat Safari Park - a week after tiger death at London Zoo

A rare tiger has died after a fight at Longleat Safari Park – marking the second tiger death in less than a week.

Shouri, a 13-year-old Amur tiger, managed to roam into a paddock where two other tigers, Red and Yana, were being held at the tourist attraction in Warminster, Wiltshire.

A fight took place between the three animals, resulting in Shouri’s death.

The park said the other two tigers were uninjured in the fight, which took place while the park was not open to the public.

Shouri’s death comes less than a week after an endangered Sumatran tiger was killed by another tiger at London Zoo.

In a statement, Longleat said: ‘Red and Yana arrived at Longleat last year as a breeding pair.

‘During the process of moving the tigers between the various outdoor paddocks, a door connecting two areas was opened which meant Shouri was able to gain access to the same outdoor area as Red and Yana.

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‘The dedicated team of keepers who care for our big cats are, understandably, extremely distraught by the events and we are doing everything we can to help and support them.’

The park added that a full investigation into the ‘terribly sad event’ had begun.

Just 540 Amur tigers are believed to be alive today, following decades of hunting bringing them to the brink of extinction.