Hamerton Zoo tiger death: Keeper Rosa King 'living dream' say parents

Rosa King, a keeper at Hamerton Zoo Park, died after a tiger entered the enclosure she was in

The parents of a zookeeper killed by a tiger have said her love of animals was "a joy and privilege to behold" and their daughter was "living her dream".

Rosa King, 33, died at Hamerton Zoo Park in Cambridgeshire on Monday.

It is understood she died after a tiger entered an enclosure, but police and the council are still investigating and an inquest has yet to take place.

Her parents Peter and Andrea King said an "abundance of love" had been shown by all for their daughter Rosa.

Ms King, whose family home is in Chippenham, Wiltshire, was dedicated to her job at the zoo where she had worked for 14 years, her parents said.

Rosa King raised money for a number of animal charities, her parents said

Rosa King looked after the carnivores at the zoo

"She lived and breathed a vocation that meant the world to her", her parents said in a statement released through Cambridgeshire Police.

More news from Cambridgeshire

Referring to their "beloved daughter", Mr and Mrs King said she was a "dedicated professional when it came to her work".

"Rosa was passionate about animals from the age of two when she first sat on the back of a horse. After that, her life was always going to be about animals," they added.

Details of how Ms King died have not yet been released, and an inquest is expected to take place next week.

The zoo was quiet on Thursday but one of the tigers could be seen drinking in its enclosure

A joint investigation by police and Huntingdonshire District Council - which is responsible for licensing the zoo - is currently under way.

Meanwhile the zoo remains closed to the public and staff have not said when it might reopen.

The tiger that killed Ms King has not been put down and was unharmed, police said.

Floral tributes have been left at the gates of the zoo

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