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‘Tiger King’ Zooekeeper Found Dead in NYC Apartment

Erik Cowie, 53, was one of Joe Exotic’s head animal caretakers and made several appearances on the Netflix phenom “Tiger King.”

Erik Cowie, a zookeeper featured on the Netflix hit Tiger King, died on Friday, according to TMZ. A friend found him facedown in an apartment in New York City. Officials have not yet conducted a toxicology test, but sources tell TMZ that police did not find any drugs on the scene. Cowie, 53, previously admitted to abusing alcohol.

Featured as one of Joe Exotic’s head animal caretakers, Cowie appeared extensively in Tiger King. However, the pair later fell out, with Cowie testifying against Exotic which led to his contributing. Cowie faced legal troubles of his own earlier this year with a DUI in Oklahoma. He failed to show up in court, leading to a warrant for his arrest.