Erik Cowie Net Worth – A Closer Look

UPDATED with cause of death:

The former zookeeper featured in the Netflix docuseries “Tiger King” died of acute and chronic alcohol abuse, according to reports. The 52-year-old was found dead in a New York apartment on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Cowie worked at Joe Exotic’s zoo as one of the animal caretakers, but he was also known to have some regrets about working with him. In fact, he testified against Joe in 2019, alleging that he heard him shoot and kill multiple big cats in October 2017.

Erik Cowie was born in Oklahoma and lived in the US for most of his life. He has never talked about his personal life in front of the media, preferring to keep it under wraps.

He was married and probably had children, but he was a very private person and avoided public interactions with his family. He was a decent guy who tended to speak about his work, shows and other things rather than his own family concerns.

As a zookeeper, he was a well-known figure in the entertainment industry. He reportedly made an estimated $3 million to $5 million after his participation in the Netflix show.

However, he was probably not the richest zookeeper in the world. Jeff Lowe, who owns the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Thackerville, Oklahoma, was said to be worth around $5 million in 2021.

The zookeeper was a fan favorite because of his honesty and his ability to make others laugh with his humor. He was also very generous and a philanthropist.

He had many friends and relatives, including a large number of celebrities who are close to him. He is also a member of the National Zookeepers Association.

Previously, he was employed at the Greater Wynnewood Animal Funpark for at least five years. During that time, he looked after tigers like Samson, Delilah, Lauren, Cuddles and Trinity.

Before joining the zoo, he was a cook at Michael’s Grill in Oklahoma. He joined the zoo to get fresh professional experience, but it seems that his zealousness was what made him one of the best zookeepers in the world.

In the documentary series, he was shown to be a very caring zookeeper and loved taking care of the animals at the park. He even bonded with the animals he cared for.

But he was not so happy with his employer after he discovered that the owner of the park, Joe Exotic, had a habit of killing the older tigers at the zoo to make room for new ones.

He told Joel McHale in the series that he was very saddened by what happened to his friends at the zoo. He felt bad for the older tigers because they were so special to him and he had grown up with them.

He sadly passed away due to his addiction to alcohol, as reported by Fox News. He had discussed his struggles with alcohol in the original Tiger King documentary.