Posted on 04/16/2016 4:58:39 AM PDT by HomerBohn
PALM BEACH, Fla. _ An employee at the Palm Beach Zoo died in a Malayan tiger attack while performing a routine procedure Friday afternoon, a zoo spokeswoman said.
Zoo officials confirmed tiger handler Stacey Konwesier was killed Friday by a tiger.
Zoo spokeswoman Naki Carter said Konweiser was preparing a male tiger for a show at the zoo called "Tiger Talk" just before 2 p.m. when the attack happened.
Konweiser, a three-year veteran of the zoo and tiger expert, was doing normal procedural actions with the tiger when it attacked her. Her husband also works for the zoo.
"Stacey was an expert," Carter said. "She dedicated her life to her mission of protecting tigers."
The male tiger was quickly subdued, allowing officials to reach the woman. She was taken to St. Mary's Medical Center, where she died.
"This is a family who is in mourning right now," Carter said of the zoo employees. "We all, myself included, doubled over. We're a close-knit group here at Palm Beach Zoo. There were tears."
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will be investigating the death. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and grief counselors were at the zoo.
"It's very new and all the details are still coming in," said Carol Lyn Parrish, spokeswoman for the wildlife commission. "Because it's an active investigation for us, we are not releasing any information."
Malayan tigers are "an endangered species _ less than 250 in the wild. Four live here at Palm Beach Zoo," Carter said.
Zoo keepers help breed the tigers to make sure they don't go extinct, Carter said. "So that's what was going on with this keeper here today, and this is just an unfortunate situation," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
THE TIGER WANTED SOME FRESH MEAT
Thanks for the diagnosis doctor.
Apparently I can’t feel pity, but that is not true.
I find your assertions pitiful.
I pity the cat.
And it would only suck to be me if I had to spend much time around you.
Have a nice day.
From what I’ve read elsewhere, she died from a bite. Can’t imagine her shock and pain in her last moments...
It is nature. The food chain.
I don't pity her. I don't feel bad. Things happen. Deal with it.
If my comment, "No doubt. Show up with all that makeup and that toothy grin? The tiger is probably feeling he is lucky to be alive." seems snarky it isn't.
Agreed.I've seen more death than I care to recall (as mentioned in my earlier post) but that one couldn't have been fun.Like those who fell/jumped from the WTC you'd hope she had a massive heart attack or stroke and was dead long before the tiger was done.
“My odds of being eaten by a tiger are zero.”
That thought never occurred to me until I was walking through a building (not close to the cat area) and passed a longish container on the floor, maybe 18 inches or so square. I looked in the end. There were vertical bars and on the other side of the bars was a tiger. No zoo personnel or label of any kind to be seen.
I saw that also , and just scratched my head
No good deed goes unpunished. Hint: THEY'RE ANIMALS...it's what they do....no matter how many Disney movies you watch.
Unfortunately she dedicated her body to the nourishment of tigers.
Sad. RIP.
my 12 lb cat could suddenly get angry and bite and kick if held too long. Imagine if he were as huge as a tiger and not domesticated.
I guess I meant save “it” as in save “them”, the species. The article was kinda confusing, it made it seem like she was both doing something routine for a show (mundane) and involved in the breeding process (insanely dangerous). Either way the end was to preserve the species which is a noble thing imo. :)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.