Families visiting a zoo in Texas were left horrified after a lion killed a lioness while they stood and watched.
The dramatic incident at Dallas Zoo on Sunday afternoon resulted in the death of a five-year-old lioness called Johari.
In an interview with local television station WFAA, one onlooker described how he initially thought the two male lions were just play-fighting with the lioness but quickly realised they were entangled in a fatal struggle.
Zoo staff threw meat at the animals in an attempt to distract them but one suffered a fatal neck wound.
Lynn Kramer, the zoo's vice president of animal operations and welfare, said the behaviour was out of character and could not have been predicted.
"Lions can be aggressive, but they don't kill each other," she said.
“This is a very rare and unfortunate occurrence. In my 35 years as a veterinarian in zoos, I’ve never seen this happen.”
The zoo said the two surviving lions have not been put down.
