'Tiger King' Star Erik Cowie's Cause Of Death Revealed, Zookeeper Died Of 'Acute And Chronic Alcohol Use'
Tiger King star Erik Cowie's cause of death has been revealed.
The 53-year-old passed away in September. As previously reported by OK!, he was believed to be found laying face down in an apartment in New York City.
TMZ reported at the time that there was nothing suspicious about Cowie's death and no drugs were found on the scene but a large bottle of vodka was found.
The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner revealed that Cowie's manner of death was natural. The cause of death was "acute and chronic alcohol use," per Fox News.
Fans will recognize Cowie as one of the animal keepers at Joe Exotic's former Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park which is also known as the G.W. Zoo, and Tiger King Park. He continued working at the zoo after the self-proclaimed Tiger King was arrested in 2018.
"Erik Cowie dedicated every waking moment caring for the animals at GWEAP & Tiger King Park. After the animals were ripped away by the Department of Justice, he sadly couldn’t take it anymore," Tiger King Park said in a statement after Cowie's passing. "He absolutely loved all the animals and would show up early to check on each and everyone. He had his Demons but the animals helped bring joy and happiness in his life."
An arrest warrant was issued for Cowie earlier this year after he did not arrive in court for sentencing after he was nabbed for driving under the influence in Oklahoma following a car accident, TMZ reported.
Fans speculated that Cowie may have used meth due to the appearance of his teeth. He dismissed the claims and said his teeth looked the way they did due to old age. After Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness aired, he reportedly got dental work done.
Exotic, who's real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is behind bars for a murder-for-hire plot against Carole Baskin and for 17 federal charges of animal abuse.
Cowie testified against Exotic in 2019 and reportedly claimed that his boss shot five tigers to make space for more. Cowie allegedly did not see Exotic kill the big cats but heard gunshots and said he "knew what was going on."
