South Florida zoo staffers and friends of a veteran keeper attacked and killed by a Malayan tiger met Saturday morning to mourn her death as investigators sought clues as to what led the tiger to violently turn on his caretaker.
Palm Beach Zoo officials also announced on Saturday that the zoo would remained closed over the weekend following the death of Stacey Konwiser, 38, who was killed by the 13-year-old male tiger in an enclosure known as the night house on Friday. Tigers sleep and are fed in the night house, which is not visible to the public, according to zoo spokeswoman Naki Carter.
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 honour.
“This is a very difficult situation for all Zoo staff, the Konwiser family and her extended Zoo family,” said a statement from zoo officials.
The tiger was tranquillised and authorities had to wait until the sedative took effect before they could come to Konwiser’s aid, West Palm Beach police spokeswoman Lori Colombino said. It’s unclear why the Malayan tiger was not killed, but zoo officials said it is one of only 250 such tigers known to exist in the world.
Carter said the zoo, which has four similar tigers, serves as a “breeding ground to make sure they don’t become extinct.”