ONE of Paignton Zoo's rare Sumatran tigers has headed off to start a new life in the north of England.

Now hopes are high in the zoo another litter of cubs will be born next year, which as well as a boost for the species, would also give a financial lift to the zoo following two record-breaking summers with the birth of the black rhino calf Zuri in 2007, and the opening of the £1.5million Crocodile Swamp this year.

Two-and-a-half-year-old tigress Kirana has been moved to Chester Zoo to start a new breeding group.

Neil Bemment, Paignton Zoo's curator of mammals, said: "We are very pleased Kirana, as one of the highest-ranking females in the Sumatran tiger European endangered breeding programme, has gone to such a good zoo to further the breeding of her species.

"With luck her parents, Tenang and Banda, will have their second litter next year."

Kirana was one of two cubs born at Paignton in May, 2006 — the first tiger cubs to be born in the Bay for almost 20 years — but the other cub later died of a heart condition.

The zoo says there was a delay in Kirana moving to a new home as keepers learnt about the population of the animals.

"Curators will sometimes plan the placement of animals in other collections before they are even born," said a zoo spokesman. "It is critical to maintain the genetics of the zoo population but vital youngsters have the guarantee of a good home in an appropriate collection where they will continue to be part of the global conservation effort. Zoos don't just breed and breed as there is only so much space for each species."