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 ...
Why? King Obama, his Highness, gave us serfs until April 18 to file this year...all bow now!
Unless you go to a zoo like San Francisco, where they apparently could get out if so determined to do so....
Want some cheese?
I don’t understand why people who are supposedly “experts” in the handling of these big cats can’t understand that these animals are “wired” to kill at their slightest whim. That’s what they do, and the kill instinct can occur at any time and for no apparent reason. Survival of the fittest has genetically conditioned them that way. I believe scientific studies have shown that cats in no way develop an emotional bond with humans, as in the case of dogs, and that what many people perceive as affection by cats, are merely territorial gestures.
There is no amount of apparent affection on the part of these cats that will preclude them from acting on their kill instinct. One thing I’ve noticed about big cats is how they will appear, after a kill, almost affectionate towards their prey, licking and grooming the prey. The key being, AFTER the kill.
“It’s very new and all the details are still coming in,”
Guess it was just her time of the month to go...
Humanizing animals doesn’t work.
Several years ago a worker at the Cincinnati Zoo, while feeding the Polar bears had her arm chewed off. What was left had to be amputated.
The rule to follow is don’t allow vicious animals to be fed by hand.
I adore bears myself- they are magnificent creatures as well. I wonder why she was close enough to get mauled or so gravely injured?
I would think that the first rule would be to not get that close to them unless they are completely knocked out. So I’m very curious to know exactly what happened....so very sad...
In this case their meat comes from human beings who’ve been mauled to death, who nevertheless you can’t find it within yourself to pity. The word for that condition is sociopath.
It must suck to be you.
“I’m hoping the make-up in the photo was for some publicity photo...”
It was. It was taken at a promotion for the zoo and had nothing to do with the attack.
I had an “amazing” experience in my early 20’s, got in a cage with some yearling lions ... not scared but very cautious, they were already developing that killer instinct at that age, any older and it wouldn’t have happened or I could have ended up like this.
“Hope for your sake you got your taxes filed yesterday. “
Taxes can be filed through the 18th this year. Hope you are NOT an accountant who does taxes...
For all the disgusting jerks making sport of this woman’s violent death, there’s a current thread about Marines killed recently in a helicopter training accident (another high risk occupation). Why not air your nasty talents over there?
“I believe zoos should be a place for patrons to observe exotic wild life in its many forms....not as a place for “shows” put on by trainers.......”
Correct!
These people just want to “pet” etc. the animals. They think they are “special”, because they get to do what the rest of us wouldn’t or can’t. It’s like making a land area off limits to the public so that only the liberals can go there for “study”.
In this case it’s a dangerous game. Is your life worth this ego trip? I guess they would say yes.
So, do I feel sorry for her? Not in the least. She was being STUPID. Am I wrong? Would you go into a tiger’s lair to “interact” with it? Would that not be stupid?
“..... performing a routine procedure.....”
“.......was doing normal procedural actions......”
WITH A TIGER? Routine? NORMAL? These “people” are not “normal”.
This reminds me of Grizzly Man, Timothy Treadwell. Just doing what he loved...... (stuck on stupid)
Either really poor procedures, or they got complacent and sloppy.
https://www.facebook.com/superficiaLDyNaStY/videos/830777653712104/
Arab/African slavers would frequently leave their own enslaved people, sick and dying along the route to Mombasa, home of the slave markets. Abandoning these suffering souls to the bush, they made easy prey for the lions. It's quite possible that over the centuries of uninterrupted slave caravans parading through the area, that the lions had become conditioned and accustomed to human meat.
Click on link for the video (safe - unless you are a PC leftist weenie.)
I deal with people who humanize animals every day. Having grown up on a farm, I am beyond amused at the stupidity some people exhibit when working with wild and/or dangerous animals. The Darwin award is in order for many of them.
One such experience was when I visited a farm where a yogi and his followers lived, caring for a few animals including a Jersey cow so the yogi could have milk and cheese. The problem was that the cow had a bull calf and they were trying to raise him to be passive. I was there about the time when he was about 18 months old. Someone was about to get hurt.
Like the tiger, a bull that is friendly is far more dangerous than one who you know you can’t trust. I never returned to the yogi’s farm, but I bet that bull went to the butcher, either directly or indirectly after being given away. Hopefully before it harmed anyone.
Jersey cows are the friendliest breed I’ve worked with, but the bulls are the worst.
Natural roid rage from testosterone poisoning..
“Some fascinating history of the “Ghost and the Darkness - The killer lions of Tsavo”
I really like the movie, “Ghost and the Darkness”. It is worth a watch if people haven’t seen it.
“Maybe she should have considered a career in chartered accountancy!!!”
I did as a CPA. It’s more dangerous than working with wild animals... The stress will kill you. Thus the “Retired” part of my screen name.
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