Articles
Taking a Predator for Granted
Stacey Konwiser, described as a veteran zookeeper who had a particular passion for tigers, was recently mauled to death by a Malayan tiger at the Palm Beach Zoo. The zoo issued a statement saying Konwiser entered a part of the tiger habitat “clearly designated as accessible by a tiger.” The zoo added: “Zoo employees are never allowed to enter a tiger enclosure to which the animal has access.”
So how does a zookeeper who knew tigers inside and out, who spent her working days caring for these vicious animals, make such a horrible mistake? The answer to that may never be known, but two possibilities seem most likely: 1) She knew what she was doing but thought no harm would come to her, or 2) She absent-mindedly wandered into forbidden territory. Either way, it was a fatal error.
Such incidents are instructive given Peter’s description of Satan: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet 5:8). Carnivorous felines are stealthy, fast, powerful and efficient killers. So is Satan. There is nothing cuddly, friendly or benign about him. If he seems harmless, perhaps like a tiger lazing in the summer sun, it is only because his true nature isn’t showing at the moment. He is biding his time until the opportune moment. Let us not make the same mistake as Stacey Konwiser. To wander into Satan’s domain is always fatal.
