Sunday 17 April 2016

Zookeeper killed by one of the cats in her care


A Florida zookeeper known to her colleagues as the “Tiger Whisperer’’ died after she was attacked by a rare species of big cat Friday. Stacey Konwiser, lead tiger keeper at the Palm Beach Zoo, was killed by a 13-year-old Malayan tiger while she worked with him in an area off-limits to the public. Zoo officials said it didn't appear Konwiser did anything out of the norm as she worked in the enclosure, known as the tiger night house, and prepared to talk with zoo visitors about the animals in a "Tiger Talk." The tiger was off-exhibit at the time and no guests could see what happened, Carter said.
“She loved tigers,’’ zoo spokeswoman Naki Carter told the Palm Beach Post. “You don’t get into this business without the love for the ¬animals and understanding the danger that’s involved.
“I kind of referred to her as a tiger whisperer,” she added.
“They spoke to each other in a language that only they could understand. And I can’t put into words or make you understand for anyone who didn’t know Stacey how much she loved these tigers and how much this zoo family loved her.”
Zoo colleagues tranquilized the ¬tiger and had to wait until the drugs took effect to reach Konweiser. There are fewer than 250 Malayan tigers left in the world and the zoo participates in a breeding program, Carter said.

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