Renee was attacked Saturday morning, was alone with the feline when the incident occurred

Nov 11, 2013 23:56 GMT  ·  By

This past Saturday, 36-year-old Renee Radziwon-Chapman was attacked and killed by a cougar living in captivity at the WildCat Haven Sanctuary in Sherwood, Oregon.

The woman, who worked as a keeper and vet technician at this facility for about eight years, was alone with the feline when the incident occurred.

Because there were no witnesses, the other people working at WildCat Haven are currently unable to say why the cougar decided to attack Renee and maul her to death.

“Her relationship with the cats was amazing. They knew her and walked up to the fence,” Jim Caliva with WildCat Haven told the press.

“She knew exactly what she was doing, but apparently there was a mistake. I don’t know what it could be,” he added, as cited by International Business Times.

An investigation into this incident is ongoing. Since WildCat Haven is a no-kill sanctuary, it is unlikely that the cougar responsible for Renee's death will be put to sleep.