An employee at Oregon’s privately operated WildCat Haven was attacked and killed by a cougar on Saturday.
36-year-old Renee Radziwon, an animal care technician at the sanctuary, was attacked by a cougar at around 7 p.m. local time Saturday night.
First responders at the scene found Radziwon already dead in the enclosure after they reportedly had difficulty reaching her because there were so many large cats in the enclosure.
"The initial report was an employee had been gravely injured on the job," authorities reportedly announced in a statement. "Once on scene, it was confirmed the employee was deceased."
The medical examiner later confirmed that Radziwon died from injuries consistent with that of an animal attack, reports KOMO News.
A statement from WildCat Haven on Sunday said that the sanctuary’s safety protocols are there to ensure that all employees and visitors to the sanctuary are safe at all times. The handbook states that “two qualified staff members shall work together during the lock out of dangerous animals.”
“Once the animals are locked out, one staff member can safely enter the enclosure to clean or make repairs,” the statement continued. “Two qualified staff members shall be available when releasing animals from lockout areas.”
The sanctuary went on to say that they believe Radziwon was alone with the cougars at the time of her attack, violating this safety rule, but that an investigation is currently underway.
WikdCat Haven is a no-kill sanctuary that is the last hope for many big cats, namely cougars, tigers, and bobcats. The sanctuary’s site says that it currently houses about 60 big cats.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
