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| Stacey Konwiser |
Malayan tiger attacked and killed female Zookeeper
Stacey Konwiser Mauled To Death By Tiger At Palm Beach Zoo in West Palm Beach, Fla.
A female zookeeper screamed for help into her radio before she was fatally attacked by a Malayan tiger, but the 350-pound animal crushed her neck before her co-workers could reach her, an autopsy report released Friday showed.Stacey Konwiser had entered the tigers’ night house, an area where they eat and sleep that is not visible to the public, to prepare for a presentation.
Hearing her screams, Konwiser’s co-workers rushed to the tiger exhibit and found the tiger standing over her body.
Zoo officials have defended their decision not to shoot the rare tiger, saying they feared a bullet could strike Konwiser or further enrage Hati if it didn’t kill him instantly.
They tried unsuccessfully to lure him into a cage before shooting him with a tranquilizer dart. Paramedics were able to reach her 17 minutes after the attack. She was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.
The male tiger, then 12 years old, had been at the zoo for two years on loan from the zoo in Fort Worth, Texas.
Stacey Konwiser, 38, died of a fractured spine, a lacerated jugular and other neck injuries suffered when she was attacked on April 15 by the tiger named Hati, Palm Beach County medical examiner said.