Netflix’s Tiger King zookeeper Erik Cowie dies at 52
(Credit: Netflix)

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Netflix’s Tiger King zookeeper Erik Cowie dies at 52

Netflix’s Tiger King is one of the most popular titles of the platform’s growing career. It found success due to the bizarre and fascinating premise of the story. However, on September 3, 2021, one of the zookeepers featured on the show, Erik Cowie, died at 52 of unknown causes. 

A resident of Brooklyn, Cowie was found dead at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, which was later confirmed by the NYPD on September 7, 2021. 

The representative spokesperson from the Medical Examiner’s office said that the manner and cause of death remain unknown and undeclared until further examination. However, according to TMZ, no drugs were found on the scene. 

He was the head zookeeper at Tiger King’s now-defunct zoo. The self-proclaimed Tiger King, AKA Joe Exotic, had an obsession with wild cats that he kept at his Wynnewood zoo, named G.W. Exotic Animal Zoo. 

Cowie worked at the zoo for five years and even testified against his ex-boss during his trial in 2019. Exotic was charged with the murder-for-hire plot against his arch-nemesis Carole Baskin as well as for his unprecedented crimes against animals. 

Exotic is now serving 22-year imprisonment. 

In his testimony, Cowie said that Exotic had allegedly gunned down five tigers to accommodate more tigers. Although he was not physically present in the scene, he claimed that he was fully aware of Exotic’s brutal activities. “I knew what was going on,” he had said. 

If you have not watched the show yet, check it out on Netflix.