The Palm Beach Zoo said in a news release early Friday morning that a Malayan tiger that killed a 38-year-old zoo employee in 2016 died on Thursday.
The 14-year-old tiger, Hati, had surgery nine days earlier for irritation in his guts but underwent another surgery on Thursday.
“Our very observant staff noticed an abnormal bulge in his abdomen and monitored it throughout the day,” explained Nancy Nill, the zoo’s associate curator said in a written statement. “As it grew larger we determined he needed emergency intervention.”
During the Thursday surgery, doctors said there was no sign of further damage. However, during his recovery, Hati stopped breathing and was unable to be resuscitated.
Hati died Thursday evening, at the Zoo’s Melvin J. and Claire Levine Animal Care Complex. A necropsy is scheduled for Friday morning.
“From ear infections to stomach problems, he has experienced a host of medical concerns that required multiple anesthetic procedures, since April of this year,” Nill said.
Hati made national headlines in April 2016 when he mauled and killed zookeeper Stacey Konwiser at the Palm Beach Zoo.
Hati was born at Fort Worth Zoo on Dec. 14, 2002. He came to Palm Beach Zoo from Texas on a breeding recommendation in July 2015.
The zoo said as of 2016, there were only four male tigers older than Hati, out of 38 male Malayan tigers in AZA accredited zoos.
