Three black bears at Giza Zoo mauled each other to death in an hours-long battle on Saturday evening for the affections of a potential mate who ended up choosing another partner.
Staff at the zoo in western Cairo unleashed water cannons on the female bears as they fought tooth and claw over a seven-year old male but failed to stem the violence, Ahram's Arabic-language news website reported.
After four hours of fighting, Lolo, Farah and Nabila lay dead, leaving Hani - the much in demand male bear - to ponder his mating options. On Sunday, however, he was spotted in his cage with another female bear named Nevine, according to Ahram.
The deadly brawl came a month before the traditional beginning of the mating season.
Giza Zoo issued a statement mourning the loss of the three bears, aged 4, 11 and 13. The zoo still has four American black bears, it said.
