WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A federal report says a Florida zookeeper who was killed by a tiger did not follow established safety procedures.
The Palm Beach Zoo released the one-page U.S. Department of Agriculture report this week. It covers a USDA inspection of the zoo on Tuesday.
The report sheds little light on the April 15 attack that killed Stacey Konwiser, saying simply the 38-year-old lead keeper violated safety procedures when she entered the tiger enclosure. It gave no further details. The 13-year-old male Malayan tiger attacked her, inflicting a fatal neck injury.
The report says the need to shoot the rare tiger with a tranquilizer dart caused it stress and discomfort that could have been avoided if Konwiser had followed protocol.
Several federal, state and local investigations into the attack remain open.