HAIKOU, May 21 (Xinhua) -- A tiger at a breeding farm on south China's Hainan island attacked and killed its keeper on Sunday morning.

    The incident occurred when 42-year-old Phornhen Doenklang, from Thailand, was cleaning a cage that housed two tigers at Longhu Zoo- a tiger and crocodile farm in Sanya City.

    A male tiger, in his mating season, pounced on the keeper when he moved to pick up a broom and bit his leg and neck.

    The victim was rushed to hospital but died after medical treatment.

    Doenklang had been tending the eight-year-old tiger since it was born, according to the head of the zoo, a man surnamed Wang.

    "Tigers are irritable during their mating seasons, particularly when it is very hot weather, which it has been in recent days," said Wang. "The tiger might have thought Phornhen was about to strike him when he bent to pick up the broom."

    At the request of Doenklang's wife, who looks after tiger cubs in the same breeding farm, the farm is contacting airline companies to arrange the transport of Doenklang's body back to Thailand.

    The fate of the tiger is still under discussion.

    The Longhu farm is home to 370 tigers and nearly 20,000 crocodiles and is run in conjunction with a Thai company, which has sent 40 of its workers to China.