Miami

Malayan Tiger Who Killed Palm Beach Zookeeper Dies

A tiger that drew worldwide attention when it killed a Pam Beach Zoo employee last year has died.

According to NBC affiliate WPTV, the zoo released a statement saying Hati, a 14-year-old Malayan tiger, died after undergoing surgery Thursday. The male tiger had emergency surgery after staff noticed an abnormal bulge, according to the statement, and stopped breathing shortly after.

An autopsy is scheduled for Friday.

Hati had undergone a previous surgery nine days before and had been recovering before the latest procedure. Zoo officials say the animal, which was born in a Texas zoo and moved to South Florida, spent 11 years at Zoo Miami before moving north in 2015.

In April 2016, Hati mauled and killed 38-year-old zookeeper Stacey Konwiser after she walked into an enclosure where the tiger was located. Medical examiners said Konwiser suffered fatal bites to her neck from the attack.

A state report released in October blamed Konwiser for not following "established safety procedures and exonerated the zoo of wrongdoing."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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