Latest news with #Cabban
NDTV
12-07-2025
- NDTV
50-Year-Old Woman Loses Arm In Horrifying Lion Attack At Popular Australian Zoo
An Australian woman lost an arm after being attacked by a lion at a zoo. According to The Independent, Joanne Cabban, a 50-year-old school teacher, was at Darling Downs Zoo on Sunday when the incident occurred. She was watching animal keepers working in the zoo's carnivore precinct before opening hours when she was attacked. She was airlifted by helicopter to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital for surgery and is now in a stable condition, the zoo said in a statement. The zoo staff are cooperating with government workplace safety investigators to determine how the incident happened. The state government confirmed an investigation was underway, per the outlet. "Inexplicably, at this stage, one animal grabbed her by one arm and caused severe damage to it," the zoo statement said. "At no stage did this animal leave its enclosure and there was no risk at all to staff members or members of the public," the statement continued. According to The Guardian, the woman was not a staff member but a "much-loved member" of the zoo's family. Darling Downs zoo owner Steve Robinson said that Cabban, his sister-in-law, was visiting on school holidays, something she has done regularly for 20 years. The 50-year-old is currently in the hospital and is in stable condition. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is investigating the incident. Nobody else saw the attack take place, though others were nearby, per the outlet. The zoo's owner, Steve Robinson, credited another member of staff with saving Ms Cabban's life. He said that the staff member used his wife's leather belt as a makeshift tourniquet to stop the bleeding, and then applied a thermal blanket before paramedics arrived. Mr Robinson said that the incident was not the lion's fault and people should not blame the animal. The animal will not be put down or punished in any way, he said. "There's no aggression, and there's no nastiness, anything like that at all. The best we can come up with at this stage is the lion was just playing. Now how she was playing with a human in that circumstance is yet to be determined," Mr Robinson stated. He also said that it was the first time an incident like this had happened at the zoo. "That enclosure that we're looking at was one of our original ones. It's been there for 20 years, as I said before, without anything like this happening," he said.
7NEWS
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Aussie influencer Al Perkins under fire for patting lions as he strolls next to them at African wildlife reserve
An Aussie influencer has come under fire over a clip of himself patting two lions on an African reserve, just days after a woman lost her arm at a Queensland zoo. Joanne Cabban was attacked by a lioness while visiting her sister at Darling Downs Zoo on Sunday morning. Cabban lost her arm in the horrific incident and remains in a stable but sedated condition at the Princess Alexandria Hospital, where she faces further surgery. Despite that headline-making news, tradie turned reality TV star Al Perkins shared an Instagram clip of himself strolling along a path as he patted the backs of two lions. 'We are in Zambia ... with wild lions,' Perkins said. 'This is crazy.' Zambia, a country in southern Africa bordered by the Congo, Tanzania, Malawai, Zimbabwe and Botswana, is known for its safaris with a network of protected areas where local wildlife roam. Perkins simply captioned the clip Hakuna Matata — a Swahili phrase meaning 'no worries', made famous in the 1994 animated film The Lion King. Far from being supportive, a number of Perkins' fans lashed out at him. 'Haven't (you) heard about the woman in Queensland who lost her arm to a lioness two days ago,' one follower wrote, clearly outraged. 'Meanwhile, in Queensland a lady had her arm eaten off,' another added. 'Luckily you survived! I wouldn't do this ever! They turn very quickly. You was (sic) very brave.' However, other fans were a bit more relaxed about it all. 'Wow, incredible,' one person wrote. 'It's Simba and Nala,' another wrote in another reference to The Lion King. 'So awesome,' another added. has reached out to Perkins for comment. Under investigation WorkSafe Queensland is investigating the Darling Downs Zoo incident. The zoo reopened on Tuesday but its popular lion encounters have been suspended indefinitely. A former staff member spoke to about the incident, saying . 'She was walking the dog past the lion enclosure and put her arm through to pat the lions — as the owners normally do,' the former employee told Zoo and authorities respond to investigation Darling Downs Zoo co-owner Steve Robinson defended the lions' temperament earlier this week, describing them as 'excellent' after being raised at the zoo from birth. He said the best explanation they could offer was 'the lion was just playing'. The zoo has confirmed the animal involved 'would not be put down or punished in any way'. Despite the tragedy, Robinson said community support has been overwhelming, with visitors continuing to show support for the zoo and its staff. Cabban, who had been taking photos for the zoo's yearly calendar, now faces a long road to recovery. Darling Downs Zoo was put up for sale in March for $6 million, the second time the family has attempted to sell it since 2023.
