2b2cff6682135edb2569ebf3ccdbd3cda94aa9a3
A "tiger whisperer" was savagely mauled to death by a massive tiger as she cried out for help at a Florida zoo, sustaining a devastating array of injuries to her head, neck, and chest.
Stacey Konwiser, a zookeeper and tiger specialist, was just 38 when she died after suffering a "severe bite" from Hati, a 12-year-old Malayan tiger.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
In her final moments, Stacey desperately called for help over her radio, but the 350-pound beast crushed her neck before her colleagues could reach her in time.
The Palm Beach County medical examiner confirmed that Stacey died from a fractured spine, a lacerated jugular vein, and further neck injuries. The tragic sequence of events unfolded in 2016 at Palm Beach Zoo as Stacey went to attend to the male Malayan tiger.
She was rushed to St Mary's Medical Centre but tragically succumbed to her injuries, according to CBS, reports the Daily Star.
The tiger's enclosure was supposed to have been secured but was found open — and Stacey's line of sight to the animal may have been obscured by a large box inside the tigers' night house, a restricted area away from public view, according to medical examiner investigator Aleita J. Kinman.
Stacey's horrified colleagues discovered the tiger standing over her lifeless body. Zoo officials confirmed they chose not to shoot the tiger, fearing a bullet could strike Stacey or momentarily provoke the animal into greater aggression.
Naki said Stacey had worked with the Malayan tigers for more than three years and had adhered to "stringent safety protocols" on a daily basis. She said: "Stacey is an expert. She came here as a lead keeper [and] is proficient in working with these animals,".
"This is an endangered species and Stacey understood the dangers that come with this job. She had a passion for this job and that's the only reason you become a keeper. She understood that every single day she was putting her life at risk to save the lives of others, specifically Malayan tigers. She dedicated her life and she understood what came with that.
"As a zoo family we are mourning the loss of our lead keeper, and our hearts are with her husband. While we will never speak with her again, her memory lives on."
Naki said at the time: "The tiger is recovering from tranquillisers, is doing fine and is here at the zoo. I want to underscore that the tiger remains at Palm beach zoo."
The Malayan tiger, a critically endangered species, was tranquillised, according to West Palm Beach police.
Zoo spokeswoman Naki Carter told the Palm Beach Post: "This is the first death at the hands of an animal in the history of the Palm Beach Zoo."
She added the tiger was not on public display at the time of the incident and visitors were never in danger. Naki said Stacey was referred to as "the tiger whisperer" owing to her outstanding management of the zoo's four Malayan tigers.
Earlier in the year she was killed, Stacey shared a photograph of a tiger on Facebook, affectionately dubbing it "the newest man in my life."
The young keeper's devastated husband was also employed as a keeper at the zoo, which closed its doors for a period following the tragedy.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund released a statement urging OSHA and the US Department of Agriculture to launch an investigation and impose "the maximum penalty" on Palm Beach Zoo for what it described as an entirely preventable incident.
"As long as employees are allowed to work in dangerously close proximity to tigers, elephants and other dangerous animals, a significant risk or serious injury or death persists.
"Since 1990 there have been at least 24 deaths and 265 injuries caused by big cats in the United States. These attacks, and scenarios where an animal escapes, have also resulted in the deaths of over 128 big cats, many of whom were endangered species."