DENVER The Denver Zoo reopened Sunday, but its feline exhibits remain closed while zoo officials investigate the death of an employee who was attacked by a jaguar that was then killed by zoo staff members over the weekend.
The victim was identified as 27-year-old Ashlee Pfaff.
A spokesperson for the Denver Zoo says Jorge, a 6-year-old jaguar weighing 140 pounds, attacked Pfaff inside the Feline Building around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.
She was rushed to Denver Health where she died around 1 p.m.
The Denver County Coroners Office says Pfaff died from injuries to her neck, spinal column and spinal cord.
According to emergency protocols, staff members responded to the enclosure with weapons.
The jaguar then approached the staff members, who were trying to assist the zookeeper, and the animal was shot and killed inside its enclosure.
Meanwhile, a sign on the door of the Feline Building notified visitors Sunday the area would be closed indefinitely.
I think you can tell the atmosphere around here today it's affecting all the employees, it's very sad," said Sheila Zaininger, a zoo visitor.
Visitors have dropped off flowers and other mementos at the entrance to the zoo.
I don't think anyone understands quite what happened, interesting to hear very sad to hear especially for the zookeeper but also knowing that animal wouldn't be here anymore," said Justin Silverstein, a zoo visitor.
On Saturday, witnesses said the attack came suddenly and the sounds from the Feline Buildings were chilling.
It was a blood curdling scream, said Susan Loving, a witness.
The zoos president and CEO issued this statement:
It is with the utmost sympathy that our condolences go out to this zookeepers family and loved ones. This keeper was part of our family and we too are grieving the loss of one our own.
Loving recalls the panic and confusion after hearing the screams from the jaguars exhibit.
"This guy, he looked frantic and he said someone just got attacked, and so we came up and looked in there and he said the keeper just got attacked by the jaguar, so we looked in there and the jaguar was half in the habitat and half in the keeper area and he was bent down in there, and we couldn't see what he was doing but it looked like he was mauling at the keeper's head," said Loving.
The zoo says at no time was the public in danger, but it did ask people to leave and offered complimentary tickets as they ushered out families.
Jorge spent two years at the zoo and came from the Santa Cruz Zoo in Bolivia. He was to be paired with Caipora, a 16-month-old female jaguar, which was a recent addition to the Feline Buildings.
The zoo reopened Sunday, but the Feline Buildings will stay closed as the zoo investigates the attack. A spokesperson says the attack is the first serious at the zoo workers can remember since the early 1970s.
Loving hopes she will forget the experience soon.
"It's not something I want to remember either. You don't to imagine that something like that can happen, said Loving.
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper also released a statement on Saturday.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the zookeeper's family and our Denver Zoo employees and volunteers following this tragic event. We are deeply saddened at the loss of a City team member and send our condolences to everyone in our community who is grieving this loss," said Hickenlooper.
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The victim was identified as 27-year-old Ashlee Pfaff.
A spokesperson for the Denver Zoo says Jorge, a 6-year-old jaguar weighing 140 pounds, attacked Pfaff inside the Feline Building around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.
She was rushed to Denver Health where she died around 1 p.m.
The Denver County Coroners Office says Pfaff died from injuries to her neck, spinal column and spinal cord.
According to emergency protocols, staff members responded to the enclosure with weapons.
The jaguar then approached the staff members, who were trying to assist the zookeeper, and the animal was shot and killed inside its enclosure.
Meanwhile, a sign on the door of the Feline Building notified visitors Sunday the area would be closed indefinitely.
I think you can tell the atmosphere around here today it's affecting all the employees, it's very sad," said Sheila Zaininger, a zoo visitor.
Visitors have dropped off flowers and other mementos at the entrance to the zoo.
I don't think anyone understands quite what happened, interesting to hear very sad to hear especially for the zookeeper but also knowing that animal wouldn't be here anymore," said Justin Silverstein, a zoo visitor.
On Saturday, witnesses said the attack came suddenly and the sounds from the Feline Buildings were chilling.
It was a blood curdling scream, said Susan Loving, a witness.
The zoos president and CEO issued this statement:
It is with the utmost sympathy that our condolences go out to this zookeepers family and loved ones. This keeper was part of our family and we too are grieving the loss of one our own.
Loving recalls the panic and confusion after hearing the screams from the jaguars exhibit.
"This guy, he looked frantic and he said someone just got attacked, and so we came up and looked in there and he said the keeper just got attacked by the jaguar, so we looked in there and the jaguar was half in the habitat and half in the keeper area and he was bent down in there, and we couldn't see what he was doing but it looked like he was mauling at the keeper's head," said Loving.
The zoo says at no time was the public in danger, but it did ask people to leave and offered complimentary tickets as they ushered out families.
Jorge spent two years at the zoo and came from the Santa Cruz Zoo in Bolivia. He was to be paired with Caipora, a 16-month-old female jaguar, which was a recent addition to the Feline Buildings.
The zoo reopened Sunday, but the Feline Buildings will stay closed as the zoo investigates the attack. A spokesperson says the attack is the first serious at the zoo workers can remember since the early 1970s.
Loving hopes she will forget the experience soon.
"It's not something I want to remember either. You don't to imagine that something like that can happen, said Loving.
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper also released a statement on Saturday.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the zookeeper's family and our Denver Zoo employees and volunteers following this tragic event. We are deeply saddened at the loss of a City team member and send our condolences to everyone in our community who is grieving this loss," said Hickenlooper.
(Copyright KUSA*TV, All Rights Reserved.)
