A female employee at Palm Beach Zoo died after being attacked by a Malayan tiger.
Stacey Konwiser, 38, was performing a routine procedure at the West Palm Beach zoo when the animal attacked her, the Palm Beach Post reported.
Konwiser was taken to St Mary's Medical Center and died later in the day of a 'severe bite' wound, a top zoo official told the Palm Beach Post.
The attack happened in an area of the zoo closed to visitors, where Konwiser was getting ready to teach visitors about tigers during a 2pm 'Tiger Talk'.
Zoo officials issued a code red alert after the attack and tranquilized the tiger.
Guests were escorted out of the zoo and some were pictured waiting in the gift shop after officials subdued the tiger.
Guests were never at risk during the attack, Carter added.
The zoo has now been closed and will remain so through Saturday.
Grief counselors arrived on Friday afternoon for staff members.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will investigate Konwiser's death.
'This is the first death at the hands of an animal in the history of the Palm Beach Zoo,' Carter said according to the Palm Beach Post.
'There are no words to describe. We've lost a family member. This is a family that is in mourning right now.'
Konwiser (pictured), a keeper at West Palm Beach Zoo, had been trained to work with wild animals, including tigers, and was performing routine acts when the tiger attacked her
Zoo employees subdued the tiger within 20 minutes and took guests to safety into the gift shop. Officials (pictured) took Konwiser to the hospital as she had suffered a 'severe bite' wound during the attack
West Plam Beach Zoo officials haven't said which of their four tigers injured Konwiser. She shared this photo of a tiger on Facebook earlier this year and called him 'the newest man in my life'
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