WELLINGTON: An animal keeper was mauled to death yesterday by a rare white tiger at a wildlife park in New Zealand while visitors watched in horror, police said.

The animal - one of only 120 white tigers in the world - was killed because it wouldn't release the keeper's body, police inspector Paul Dimmery told National Radio.

South African national Dalu Mncube was attacked after he and a colleague entered the cage at Zion Wildlife Park on New Zealand's North Island to clean it, police spokeswoman Sarah Kennett said.