Stacey Konwiser’s mourning husband who is also a keeper on the zoo and the rest of the family are planning a private ceremony for her, as per Fayette Advocate.
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Palm Beach Zoo officials say the 300-pound male Malayan tiger that killed zookeeper Stacey Feige Konwiser is healthy and that there is no threat to its welfare following the incident Friday that resulted in her death.
Konwiser was killed Friday as she was preparing the animal in an behind-the-scenes area for an afternoon show.
While many were concerned what would happen to the rare Malayan tiger, on Sunday zoo spokeswoman Naki Carter put their fears to rest. Stacey Konwiser, a 38-year old passionate lead keeper for three years suffered multiple wounds which lead to her death. She was mauled while in a part of the tiger enclosure known as the night house, a section not visible to the public.
“I kind of referred to her as a tiger whisperer”. “The spoke to each other in a language that only they could understand”. The tiger was tranquilized and has since recovered, and remains at the zoo. “And while she’s no longer with us, her memory will live on”.
She was rushed to a medical centre but died from her injuries. The zoo has set up the Stacey Konwiser Conservation Fund to support work with what the zoo called “our Big Cats”.
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The zoo said Konwiser didn’t appear to do anything out of the ordinary, but federal work safety investigators are looking into the incident. “We’ve lost a member of our family”. “[She] loved tigers”, said Carter.Konwiser had worked three years at the zoo and was very experienced with tigers, Carter said.Florida Fish and Wildlife officials have said that they plan to investigate the incident, according to TCPalm.
