A Malayan tiger attacked and killed a keeper at a Florida zoo. “There has never been any consideration to euthanizing the tiger”, zoo spokeswoman Naki Carter said at a Sunday afternoon press conference at the zoo.
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Konwiser was a “beloved member” of the staff, Carter said.
A spokesperson for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums said that “animals hurting or fatally injuring keepers are very rare”. Since 1990, there have been approximately 24 deaths and 265 injuries in the USA caused by captive big cats. She also would not give the tiger’s name.
One of the Palm Beach Zoo’s major conservation partners, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been active in tiger conservation efforts in Malaysia for the past six years, according to the zoo’s website.
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.
Stacey Konwiser, the keeper, was fatally bitten by the tiger when she was out of view of guests in an enclosed area. “And while she’s no longer with us, her memory will live on”, Carter told CNN. Colombino says the tiger was tranquilized.
Carter declined to elaborate on Konwiser’s injuries or the attack itself, which she would only refer to as an “incident”.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund called upon the OSHA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expedite its investigation and impose a penalty that would “ensure an end to these preventable deaths in zoos”. The zoo made the following announcement on Facebook. Four of those tigers are kept at the Palm Beach Zoo, according to Fox News.
The attack took place at the Night House, an area created to keep handlers separate from the tiger. “Guests were never in danger at any time”. The zoo was closed over the weekend. “We want to underscore that at no time was the public at any risk”.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ranks it as “critically endangered” – one step above “extinct in the wild” – based on a recent estimate that fewer than 250 mature individuals are in the wild. There are about 50 more in captivity in zoos in North America.
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The attack was not witnessed by visitors. This is a tragic and traumatic event for the zoo family but together we can help each other heal.
