Florida zookeeper broke safety protocols before attack: report

(Reuters) - A Florida zoo worker who was killed by an endangered male Malayan tiger was not following proper safety protocol in the moments leading up to the attack, according to a federal report released this week by the zoo and seen by Reuters.

The report summarized an inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that was performed on Tuesday. It said Stacey Konwiser, 38, a lead tiger keeper at the Palm Beach Zoo, strayed from "established safety procedures" on April 15.

The report did not detail protocols that it said had not been followed.

The report said emergency officials had been unable to attend to Konwiser until the tiger had been sedated, which "subjected the animal to behavioral stress, unnecessary discomfort and potential harm" that could have been avoided had protocols been followed.

Zoo officials have acknowledged that Konwiser entered the enclosure while the tiger was inside, which is prohibited, according to a report published in Florida's Sun Sentinel newspaper.

Konwiser had been preparing for evening cleaning and feeding routines in a behind-the-scenes area known as the tiger night house, where tigers eat and sleep, according to zoo officials.

The tiger is one of four endangered Malayan tigers at the Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Zoo officials have declined to provide further details about the incident but said the public was never at risk.

After working at the zoo for three years, Konwiser had accepted a position with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and was interested in a long-term career with the federal wildlife service, the zoo said.

(Reporting by Karen Brooks)