Latest news with #DarlingDownsZoo
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Woman attacked by lion at Darling Downs Zoo undergoes second round of surgery
The woman who lost her arm to a lion at a Queensland zoo will undergo another round of surgery, days after the attack. Joanne Cabban lost her arm in a lion attack shortly before 8.30am on Sunday at Darling Downs Zoo near Toowoomba. The NSW teacher, the sister of Stephanie Robinson, who owns the zoo with her husband Steve, was rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane to undergo emergency surgery. On Thursday, Ms Cabban will undergo another round of surgery for her arm, which was mauled by the lioness. Mr Robinson told reporters the incident was not 'an attack' and believed the lion was 'just playing'. He explained his sister-in-law was not holding the lioness during the incident and was familiar with the big cats over the zoo's 20-year history. 'We've raised these lions ourselves,' he told reporters on Tuesday. 'Their temperaments are excellent. We can still interact with them through the mesh of the cage.' He said a staff member was nearby when the incident occurred and acted quickly to treat the woman. 'She actually took my wife's leather belt off and applied a tourniquet,' he said. 'Very quickly, the first aid kit was there, we wrapped her up in a thermal blanket and the paramedics locally were here very, very quickly.' He told reporters the zoo had never experienced a lion attack before. 'We've got theories but until we get fact, I'm not going to be speculating or running with any what ifs or maybes or anything like that,' he said. 'We're still processing in our minds and coming to grips with not just what happened but what happens next.' The zoo shared a statement on Monday announcing that it would reopen as normal and confirmed the lioness 'would not be put down or punished in any way'. Darling Downs Zoo opened in 2005 and specialises in captive husbandry and breeding of critically endangered and vulnerable species.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Huge update after woman mauled by lion
The woman who lost her arm to a lion at a Queensland zoo will undergo another round of surgery, days after the attack. Joanne Cabban lost her arm in a lion attack shortly before 8.30am on Sunday at Darling Downs Zoo near Toowoomba. The NSW teacher, the sister of Stephanie Robinson, who owns the zoo with her husband Steve, was rushed to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane to undergo emergency surgery. On Thursday, Ms Cabban will undergo another round of surgery for her arm, which was mauled by the lioness. Mr Robinson told reporters the incident was not 'an attack' and believed the lion was 'just playing'. He explained his sister-in-law was not holding the lioness during the incident and was familiar with the big cats over the zoo's 20-year history. 'We've raised these lions ourselves,' he told reporters on Tuesday. 'Their temperaments are excellent. We can still interact with them through the mesh of the cage.' He said a staff member was nearby when the incident occurred and acted quickly to treat the woman. 'She actually took my wife's leather belt off and applied a tourniquet,' he said. 'Very quickly, the first aid kit was there, we wrapped her up in a thermal blanket and the paramedics locally were here very, very quickly.' He told reporters the zoo had never experienced a lion attack before. 'We've got theories but until we get fact, I'm not going to be speculating or running with any what ifs or maybes or anything like that,' he said. 'We're still processing in our minds and coming to grips with not just what happened but what happens next.' The zoo shared a statement on Monday announcing that it would reopen as normal and confirmed the lioness 'would not be put down or punished in any way'. Darling Downs Zoo opened in 2005 and specialises in captive husbandry and breeding of critically endangered and vulnerable species.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Zoo owner explodes after shocking claim emerges about woman who had her arm torn off by a lion
A former zoo worker's claim that a teacher may have put her arm in the enclosure to pat a lioness, which then ripped off her arm has sparked a fiery response from their former boss. Joanne Cabban remains in a Brisbane hospital after losing her arm during the horrific mauling at Darling Downs Zoo near Toowoomba on Sunday. The high school teacher from central-west NSW was visiting the zoo owned by her sister Stephanie Robinson when disaster struck shortly before the tourist attraction was scheduled to open for the day. As the zoo reopened for the first time since the attack, a former worker has speculated on what may have happened. 'She was walking the dog past the lion enclosure and put her arm through to pat the lions - as the owners normally do,' they told The bombshell claim emerged after images posted by the zoo showing staff patting and kissing the dangerous animals. Zoo co-owner Steve Robinson hit back when Daily Mail Australia put the allegations to him on Thursday morning. 'If I responded to every bit of rubbish on social media, I'd be tied to the computer all day,' he said. 'Short answer is – bulldust! What was she going to do? Pat the dog with one hand and the lion with the other? 'I won't contribute to giving these attention seekers their five seconds of fame. 'If this person is truly a 'former zoo worker' then he/she would never have seen anyone walking a dog through the zoo – let alone in an off display area.' Mr Robinson also denied claims that dogs are walked through the zoo. 'The owners never walk dogs through the zoo and never have,' he said. Several questions remain unanswered, despite Mr Robinson earlier this week revealing more details about the harrowing attack on his sister-in-law. It's understood Ms Cabban was standing near the holding enclosure where the lions were being kept while the main enclosure was being cleaned. 'She certainly was not in the enclosure — nobody goes into the enclosure with adult lions in this zoo, so we can rule that out entirely,' Mr Robinson said. His wife remains at her sister's bedside at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital, where Ms Cabban will undergo further surgery. He said the attack shocked staff and the local community, where the family has operated the zoo since 2005. 'It's still very raw,' Mr Robinson said. He added that his sister-in-law sustained life-changing injuries that were 'too macabre' to describe in detail. Ms Cabban visited the zoo several times in the school holidays over the past 20 years, acting as a photographer. The photos are then used to create zoo calendars, Mr Robinson explained. Lion encounters remain suspended at the zoo. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has launched an investigation into the incident. It's understood compliance order have already been served. The zoo has been listed for sale for the third time in two years at a cut-price $6million, down from its initial $7million price tag in 2023.
The Guardian
20 hours ago
- The Guardian
NSW woman on emotional ‘rollercoaster' after losing arm in zoo lion attack, family says
The NSW school teacher maimed in a lion attack at a Queensland zoo at the weekend is struggling to come to terms with losing her arm, her family says. The woman, in her 50s, has been identified as Parkes school teacher Joanne Cabban. Darling Downs zoo owner Steve Robinson told media that Cabban, his sister-in-law, was visiting on school holidays, something she has done regularly for 20 years. Cabban lost her arm in the attack by a lioness at about 8.30am on Sunday morning. She was in a staff-only area of the zoo, which is about 45 minutes south of Toowoomba. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The attack took place near a holding enclosure, which contained the lions, while staff cleaned the main enclosure. Robinson said Cabban was 'very much on a rollercoaster emotionally as she comes to grips with the enormity of what has happened'. Robinson said Cabban was still 'heavily drugged with pain killers' but that her condition was listed as stable, as it has been since she arrived at the hospital via helicopter Sunday. 'I don't believe that she has been allowed out of bed yet,' he said. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is investigating the incident. Nobody else saw the attack take place, though others were nearby. Robinson said his wife was hoping to be able to speak to her sister about the details of the attack shortly. 'Steph [Cabban's sister] is hoping to be able to coax some precise details out of her later today or, more likely, tomorrow,' he told Guardian Australia. A spokesperson for Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said their probe is 'still an active and ongoing investigation'. Robinson credited another member of staff, a carnivore keeper with first aid experience, with saving Cabban's life. She used his wife's leather belt as a makeshift tourniquet to stem the bleeding, and then applied a thermal blanket before paramedics arrived. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The Darling Downs zoo is privately owned and independent, employs 22 staff, including four lion keepers, and has nine lions. The zoo uses 'protected contact', which means nobody enters an enclosure with an adult lion, he said. The attack took place at one of the zoo's oldest enclosures, which has existed since it opened 20 years ago. Robinson said his sister-in-law often took photos to produce calendars for the zoo. He said the incident was not the lion's fault and people should not blame the animal. It has not been put down. '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,' he said. 'Now how she was playing with a human in that circumstance is yet to be determined.' Robinson said 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.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE The astonishing detail in the sales pitch for the zoo where a lioness ripped off the arm of the owner's sister - as it goes BACK on the market for a cut-price $6million...with all the wild animals included
The Queensland zoo where a woman had her arm ripped off in a horrific lion attack this week is up for sale, and would-be buyers are being tempted with the promise that no-one needs a licence to run it. Darling Downs Zoo in Pilton near Toowoomba, 130km west of Brisbane, has been listed for sale for the third time in two years at a cut-price $6million, down from its initial price tag of $7million in 2023. But the real estate advertisement insists: 'Did you know that anyone can own a zoo? There are no special qualifications or certificates required!' NSW teacher and zoo photographer Jo Cabban, 46, was mauled by a lioness while she stood next to the cleaning pen on Sunday. A statement from the family-run business admitted she had sustained life-changing injuries that were 'too macabre' to describe in detail. Zoo co-owner Steve Robinson confirmed the woman, who is his wife Stephanie's sister, lost an arm in the attack. She remains in a stable condition after being flown to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital. Mr Robinson told media his sister-in-law is 'a lovely lady whose life has been altered'. Darling Downs Zoo, in Pilton near Toowoomba, is listed for $6 million He said the attack shocked staff and the local community where the family has operated the zoo since 2005. 'It's still very raw,' Mr Robinson, who owns the zoo with his wife and Ms Cabban's sister Stephanie Robinson, said. Ms Cabban visited the zoo several times in the school holidays over the past 20 years, acting as a photographer. The same animal park is being sold as a 'walk-in, walk-out' business opportunity, complete with lions, tigers, and exotic monkeys, for anyone willing to take the reins, experience or not. 'Are you ready to be part of something extraordinary?' asks the real estate listing. 'Allow us to take you on a journey in a world where the wonders of nature and the future of conservation meet. 'Imagine waking up every day to the roar of lions, the graceful sway of giraffes, and the laughter of families experiencing the wonder of wildlife.' The advert insists owning a zoo isn't just a business but 'a dream brought to life'. Described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the property includes 122 acres of land, multiple animal enclosures, a café, and an on-site two-bedroom residence. The sellers are also offering three months of training and support for new owners, plus the current 20-strong staff and all zoo vehicles. It's the third time the zoo has gone up for sale in recent years, after first being listed for $7million, before a price drop to $6.5million in 2024, when it was being sold because of the health of one of the directors. The 2024 sales pitch warned prospective buyers the owners were 'very fussy' and would not be in a rush to sell to just anyone, before it was again taken off the market. It was then put up for sale again in March this year. Mr Robinson said they attracted lots of interest, however were unable to find the right buyer for them. 'It was not what we were looking for,' Mr Robinson said. 'There was interest from investment companies but that is not what the zoo is all about.' Mr Robinson said he wanted to ensure the zoo remains a breeding facility for rare and endangered animals, as well as a family and educational facility that attracts visits from many local schools. The couple also planned to remain living next door to the property and would continue to play an important role in its future. 'The zoo is our baby,' he added. He said no-one had seen the attack unfold on his sister-in-law until zoo staff heard her screams. Mr Robinson denied she had been in the lions' enclosure when the lion tore off her arm, and said he could only imagine the lion had been trying to play. The attack took place while her Ms Cabban's sister and the zookeeper were tending the lions about 8.30am on Sunday, 30 minutes before the doors opened for the day. Mr Robinson also said he was not sure why the attack happened. 'The best we can come up with, at this stage, is the lion was just playing,' Mr Robinson said. Queensland workplace health and safety authorities are investigating the incident. Darling Downs Zoo confirmed in a message on Facebook that the lion 'will definitely not be put down or punished in any way.'
