A “tiger whisperer” was fatally attacked by a massive tiger as she cried out for help at a Florida zoo, suffering a devastating array of injuries to her head, neck, and torso.

Stacey Konwiser, a zookeeper and tiger specialist, was only 38 when she lost her life after receiving a “severe bite” from Hati, a 12 year old Malayan tiger.

During her final moments, Stacey desperately called for help through her radio, but the 350-pound predator crushed her neck before colleagues could intervene.

The Palm Beach County medical examiner determined Stacey’s cause of death as a fractured spine, a lacerated jugular, and additional neck trauma. The tragic incident unfolded in 2016 at Palm Beach Zoo while Stacey was caring for the male Malayan tiger.

She was rushed to St Mary’s Medical Center but succumbed to her wounds, CBS reported, reports the Daily Star.

The tiger’s enclosure should have been secured but remained open – and Stacey’s line of sight to the animal may have been obscured by a large container in the tigers’ night house, an area hidden from public view, according to medical examiner investigator Aleita J. Kinman.

Stacey’s traumatized colleagues discovered the tiger positioned over her remains. Zoo administrators stated they refrained from shooting the animal, concerned a gunshot might strike Stacey or temporarily intensify the tiger’s aggression.

Naki revealed that Stacey had been working with the Malayan tigers for over three years, consistently following “stringent safety protocols” every day. She stated: “Stacey is an expert. She came here as a lead keeper [and] is proficient in working with these animals,”.

“This is an endangered species and Stacey understood the dangers that come with this job. She had a passion for this job and that’s the only reason you become a keeper. She understood that every single day she was putting her life at risk to save the lives of others, specifically Malayan tigers. She dedicated her life and she understood what came with that.

“As a zoo family we are mourning the loss of our lead keeper, and our hearts are with her husband. While we will never speak with her again, her memory lives on.”

At the time, Naki confirmed: “The tiger is recovering from tranquillisers, is doing fine and is here at the zoo. I want to underscore that the tiger remains at Palm beach zoo.”

According to West Palm Beach police, the Malayan tiger, a critically endangered species, was sedated following the incident.

Zoo spokesperson Naki Carter informed the Palm Beach Post: “This is the first death at the hands of an animal in the history of the Palm Beach Zoo.”

She emphasized the tiger was not on public display during the attack and visitors were never in danger. Naki noted that Stacey had earned the nickname “the tiger whisperer” for her remarkable skill in managing the zoo’s four Malayan tigers.

Earlier in the year she was killed, Stacey posted a photograph of a tiger to Facebook that she referred to as “the newest man in my life.”

The young keeper’s grieving husband was also employed at the zoo, which temporarily closed its doors following the tragedy.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund released a statement urging both OSHA and the US Department of Agriculture to open an investigation and impose “the maximum penalty” on Palm Beach Zoo, describing the incident as entirely preventable.

“As long as employees are allowed to work in dangerously close proximity to tigers, elephants and other dangerous animals, a significant risk or serious injury or death persists.

“Since 1990 there have been at least 24 deaths and 265 injuries caused by big cats in the United States. These attacks, and scenarios where an animal escapes, have also resulted in the deaths of over 128 big cats, many of whom were endangered species.”