Fderal regulators have called for adding tiger-tracking video cameras and beefing up other safety measures at the Palm Beach Zoo, where a zookeeper was mauled in April.
Stacey Konwiser, 37, was killed by a tiger when she entered its enclosure without making sure the tiger was locked up, according to investigators.
While the Palm Beach Zoo doesn't face any citations as a result of Konwiser's death, the recommended changes should be enacted "in the interest of public safety," according to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Oct. 14 letter to the zoo.
Installing video cameras to track tiger locations — and to also keep tabs on whether animal keepers are following safety measures — is among the recommendations.
The federal findings also call for installing a centralized system to operate animal-access doors within the tiger exhibit and behind-the-scenes areas.
That should include an electronic display that shows whether access doors within tiger holding areas are open or closed, federal regulators found.
In addition, the zoo should take greater steps to enforce rules for animal handlers, such as:
• Verifying that tiger access doors are closed before entering the tiger exhibit and other areas within the facility.
• Prohibiting animal keepers from using tiger access doors to pass between areas within the tiger facility.
• Requiring two-person teams when shifting the tigers from one part of the facility to another.
Zoo officials say they cooperated with federal investigators and "share the same goals as OSHA to ensure that we provide a safe working environment for all of our employees," according to a zoo statement issued Tuesday.
Zoo officials say they have already implemented many of the federal recommendations, but the "zoo does not believe that any of the additional safety recommendations played a role in the accident in question," according to the statement.
Zoo officials on Tuesday didn't specify which recommendations had been implemented.
While investigations can help improve safety at zoos, focusing on retraining employees to better follow safety procedures can be more valuable than emphasizing technology upgrades, according Ed Hansen, CEO of the American Association of Zoo Keepers.
Centralized controls for doors isn't always practical because of the size and design of animal enclosures, Hansen said.
And instead of relying on video tracking, he said there is no substitute for visually checking to see if animals are secured or doors are closed before entering an enclosure.
"It ripples immediately through the rest of the profession," Hansen said about Konwiser's death. "A moment of inattention can lead to disaster."
Investigators determined that Konwiser entered the behind-the-scenes portion of the tiger facility to prepare for a tiger show, even though a 12-year-old Malayan tiger named Hati still had access to the area.
Three chute doors were left open in the enclosure, according to the findings of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, released earlier this month.
According to a West Palm Beach police report, officers spoke with two zoo maintenance workers who heard a cry for help from the tiger nighthouse. One of the men yelled, "Are you hurt in there?"
He said he heard her say "yes." He said he then asked, "Who are you?"
To that, he got no response, said the report. Police say when the workers looked inside the building and saw a door open, they knew it wasn't safe to be inside. So they backed out, closed the door and radioed for help.
When zoo workers arrived, they saw blood on the ground and the tiger standing over her with his ears pinned back, according to the state report.
The zoo opted to tranquilize the tiger instead of shooting to kill, which raised questions about delays in getting medical care to Konwiser.
Zoo representatives have said that the confined space raised the risk that a bullet may have missed, leading to a ricochet that could have hit Konwiser and further angered the tiger.
Instead, zoo workers used food to try to lure the tiger away before shooting. When that didn't work, a tranquilizer dart was fired.
Seventeen minutes passed after the attack before paramedics were able to reach Konwiser, who by then had no pulse, according to the state report.
The county medical examiner later determined that Konwiser's neck had been crushed.
Zoo representatives have said that cameras, used to monitor tiger breeding, were not operating in the area where Konwiser was attacked.
Information from The Associated Press and Sun Sentinel news partner WPEC-Ch. 12 was used in this report.
abreid@sunsentinel.com, 561-228-5504 or Twitter@abreidnews
