A Florida zoo is mourning the death of one of its veteran zookeepers after one of the zoo’s rare Malayan tigers suddenly attacked her inside the enclosure Friday.
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The Palm Beach Zoo keeps four Malayan tigers, including the animal that killed Konwiser.
West Palm Beach police said the tiger was tranquilised and officers waited until the drugs took effect before they could reach Konwiser.
A woman has died after a tiger injured her inside a contained area at the Palm Beach Zoo, according to St. Mary’s Medical Center spokesman Ryan Lieber.
Konwiser, who had worked at the zoo for three years according to WPBF 25 West Palm Beach News, was the head zoo keeper.
On Saturday morning, Konwiser’s husband, Jeremy, also a Palm Beach Zoo keeper, read a “note of support” to staff, said Carter, who added that the zoo is trying to establish a memorial fund in Konwiser’s honor.
“The tiger never escaped”, zoo spokeswoman Naki Carter said, according to the Sun Sentinel.
Police said the tiger was tranquilized. “This is a death in the family”, Carter said.
“As a zoo family, we are grieving at this time”.
Investigations will continue over the next few weeks to determine what went wrong, and what caused the tiger to attack. The tiger night house is where the zoo’s tigers are housed at night while they sleep and also where they are fed.
The tiger-keeper’s injuries were so severe that she died at the hospital. The Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society will be closed throughout the weekend.
The newspaper said that the zookeeper was preparing for an educational zoo attraction called Tiger Talks when the incident happened. It was the first time an animal has killed anyone at the zoo over the 60 years it has been in operation. They declined to comment on whether there had been other incidents with the tiger.
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Later the zoo officials said that the tiger never left the enclosure. “Exactly what occurred remains under investigation”. “You don’t get into this business without the love for the animals and understanding the danger that’s involved”. By keeping the animals, zoos can learn about animal behavior, habits and more, and can use that information around the world to help future generations in the wild.
