A WOMAN has lost her arm in a horror lion attack at a zoo while she watched the keepers at work.
Emergency services scrambled to Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland, Australia, on Sunday following reports a woman in her 50s had been mauled by a big cat.
The woman in her 50s was mauled by a lion at the zoo
NINE NEWSA woman has lost her arm in a horror lion attack[/caption]
Google mapsEmergency services scrambled to Darling Downs Zoo[/caption]
It’s understood the woman – who was known to zoo staff – lost her arm in the horror attack.
She was flown to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital and is in a stable condition.
The zoo explained in a statement posted to social media that the woman had been observing keepers when the terrifying incident unfolded.
It said: “Inexplicably, at this stage, one animal grabbed her by one arm and caused severe damage to it.
“At no stage did this animal leave its enclosure and there was no risk at all to staff members or members of the public.
“Police and Workplace Health and Safety personnel are investigating this incident and have been onsite all morning.
“The zoo is working with them to establish how this incident occurred but the full details will not be known until [the woman] can be interviewed.”
A spokesperson from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said their inspectors were onsite and making enquiries into the horror incident.
Darling Downs Zoo it was working with cops and Workplace Health and Safety to understand how it happened.
The zoo had recently promoted supervised encounters with its lionesses on social media.
It shared: “Each day at 10am they are on supervised display to our visitors and are also available for some personalised encounters.
“These encounters are strictly monitored to ensure their enjoyment of them and their well-being.
“Every cent of the money that they raise goes into a fund to build an expanded multi pride lion complex to cater for the needs of our enlarged lion family.”
The zoo is home to numerous big cats including lions, tigers and leopards.
It has African lions, like white lions from the Greater Timbavati and Southern Kruger Park region of South Africa.
The zoo also keeps a Sumatran tiger and a breeding pair of Sri Lankan leopards, the website says.
It said it would be closed all day on Sunday but would re-open at 9am on Monday.
10 NEWSShe was flown to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital[/caption]
7NEWSA spokesperson from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said their inspectors were onsite and making enquiries into the horror incident[/caption]