Facility Safety Concerns Arise After Cougar Attack
After a cougar killed an employee at a Portland animal sanctuary, concerns have been raised over the safety measures taken at the facility.
The death of Renee Radziwon, an employee of WildCat Haven in Portland, Ore., inside a cougar enclosure will be investigated by OSHA, according to a Fox News report. It stated Radziwon worked as an animal technician and head keeper at the sanctuary for eight years and was killed by one or two of the animals while she was cleaning the enclosure.
The facility's protocol mandates two qualified workers to be in an enclosure with animals at any given time, but in this instance, the woman was alone with two cougars. The report says Radziwon was working alone in the enclosure, which breaks typical protocol, as no one was there to help her.
The facility's owner discovered her once he returned after being gone for a few hours. She had already been killed and had bite wounds on her head and neck. Authorities are still unsure whether the woman was killed by one cougar or two.