Latest news with #animalincident
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Zoo owner reveals terrifying reason behind gruesome lion attack that cost woman her arm - as quick-thinking animal keeper's life-saving act is revealed
A Queensland zoo owner has revealed the lion that mauled a woman, in a shocking attack that cost her her arm, was 'just playing'. Jo Cabban, 46, a teacher from NSW, was flown to Brisbane 's Princess Alexandra Hospital on Sunday after being mauled by the lion at Darling Downs Zoo in Pilton, a small town in Toowoomba. Zoo co-owner Steve Robinson confirmed the woman, who is his sister-in-law, lost an arm in the attack and remains in a stable condition in hospital. Mr Robinson told media the victim is 'a lovely lady whose life has been altered'. He said the attack shocked staff and the local community where the family-owned business has operated 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. Mr Robinson said that although zoo staff were nearby, no one witnessed the attack near a holding pen and 'it was all over in a split second'. 'She certainly was not in the enclosure. Nobody goes into the enclosures with adult lions,' he said. A lion keeper at the scene when the incident happened used a belt as a tourniquet, with Mr Robinson saying the worker had saved his sister-in-law's life. Mr Robinson refused to describe his sister-in-law's injuries, saying they were: 'Too macabre'. The attack did not happen in a part of the zoo open to the public and there were no 'stand-off fences' as it was an area where the animal keepers worked. The Courier Mail reported Ms Cabban was in a cleaning pen with her sister and a keeper when the attack happened about 8.30am on Sunday, just 30 minutes before the zoo was due to open. 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. 'Now she was playing with a human in that circumstance is yet to be determined. 'This is not a lion fault. Lions are lions. This is what they are.' The zoo previously said the victim was watching animal keepers work in the carnivore precinct when the attack occurred, and she was aware of safety protocols. 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'. The animal park reopened to the public on Tuesday. Nationals leader David Littleproud encouraged locals to continue to attend the much-loved zoo. 'I express my sincere condolences to the woman involved in the events that unfolded at Darling Downs Zoo,' Littleproud said. 'This is a horrific incident. It is a tragedy and a shock to not just staff at the zoo, but the entire community.' He added: 'I encourage locals to continue to visit and enjoy the zoo, which will need support from the community during this difficult time.' The zoo, the major venue of its kind in regional Queensland, houses tawny lions and white lions, both species native to South Africa.
Fox News
10-06-2025
- Fox News
'Unhappy cow' sends Texas rancher flying to hospital in dramatic airlift rescue after unexpected attack
A Leon County, Texas, rancher was airlifted to a hospital and another person was taken by ambulance after being attacked by what officials called "an unhappy cow" on Monday morning. In a post on Facebook, Leon County Emergency Management (LCEM) said "AirMed 12 N" picked up an injured rancher who had been "attacked by an unhappy cow." FOX 26 in Houston reported that EMS responded at about 9 a.m. to the area, which is located nearly 90 miles east of Waco, Texas, and nearly half-way between Houston and Dallas. Responding units included LCEM and other emergency medical crews from the area. Officials did not identify the people who were injured by the cow nor did they disclose the severity of their injuries. The reason the cow became unhappy remains unknown. This is not the first time an animal has turned on its caretaker. In April 2022, an Irish man was attacked by a rooster with a history of attacking people, according to reports. The Irish Examiner in Cork, Ireland, reported that Jasper Kraus was allegedly attacked by a Brahma chicken that was moved to his property in Ballinasloe after it attacked a child. During a judicial inquiry into the matter, Garda Eoine Browne said he responded to reports of a sudden death on April 28, 2022, and when he arrived, he spoke to paramedics who said CPR attempts to revive the victim were unsuccessful. Kraus was in the kitchen and on the ground in a pool of blood when Brown arrived and appeared to be suffering from a single wound on the back of one of his legs. Kraus's daughter said during the inquiry that she realized the rooster must have caused her father's death after she saw blood on its claws. She also revealed the same rooster had previously attacked her daughter. Corey O'Keefe, a tenant at Kraus's house, was questioned about the incident and said he returned home from work at 8 a.m. that morning, fed the animals and asked Kraus how he was doing before heading off to bed. A little while later, O'Keefe reported, Kraus was screaming for help. When O'Keefe went out to see what was wrong, he saw blood spurting from a large wound on the back of Kraus's calf, along with two other scratches. The victim went in and out of consciousness, O'Keefe reportedly said, and at one point said the word "rooster." Kraus was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner recorded Kraus's death as misadventure, or an accident, describing the incident as a dreadful experience for the family.
RNZ News
03-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Woman attacked by dog at Auckland Botanic Gardens
Auckland Botanic Gardens. Photo: Supplied A woman required an ambulance after she was attacked by a dog at Auckland Botanic Gardens on Monday. A St John spokesperson said they were notified of an animal incident at the gardens about 9:30am. "One ambulance responded and transported one patient, in a minor condition, to Bakerfield Medical Centre." Auckland Council licensing and compliance general manager Rob Irvine told RNZ the botanic garden's staff came to the woman's aid after she was injured by a roaming dog in an on-leash area of the park. "We understand that staff administered first aid on site while an ambulance and Animal Management were notified. "We're currently investigating the incident, including reviewing CCTV footage. He said the incident was a reminder to all dog owners to ensure their dogs were not off-leash or roaming in dedicated on-leash areas. "If you see a roaming dog or need to report a dog attack on a person or animal, report it immediately and our Animal Management Officers will be on-site as soon as possible." Roaming dogs can be reported to the council on 09 301 0101 and dog attacks can be reported on 0800 462 685. He asked anyone who witnessed the incident on Monday to call Animal Management. Meanwhile, a woman shared on social media that her mother was the victim of the attack. She claimed after the dog bit her mum's arm unprovoked, its owners did not stay with her as she lay on the concrete path bleeding out. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Horry County police say ‘non-domesticated' animal involved in death of a person
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Horry County police are investigating an 'animal-related incident' connected with the death of a person off Highway 746 near Loris. Authorities said the incident involving a 'non-domesticated animal' and an adult relative of its owner happened late Friday night. Officials said the victim entered the animal's enclosure. An autopsy has been ordered and the animal remains secure with no larger community threat. No further information was immediately provided. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Dog walker was nearly killed by rampaging 80-stone cow that headbutted and repeatedly trampled her in terrifying attack
A dog walker was nearly killed after a rampaging 80 stone cow headbutted and repeatedly trampled her, leaving the mother with two broken ribs in a horrific attack. Laura Vaughan was targeted by a huge Hereford cow whilst she walked her cockapoo Zeyna in the Wye Valley on April 6. The animal charged at her, headbutting her to the ground before repeatedly booting her in the leg and back in the 30-second-long attack. The 51-year-old was left with a deep 'Nike tick' gash in her leg, two broken and displaced ribs and a punctured lung. Fortunately, a Good Samaritan passerby entered the field and distracted the animal in order that the aerospace senior engineer was able to escape. Other walkers helped Laura leave the field before patching her up with a first aid kit and calling 999. She was rushed to hospital, where she had an X-ray and a CT scan and was admitted for four days. A month on from the terrifying attack, Ms Vaughan said she is 'lucky to be alive'. The 51-year-old was left with a deep 'Nike tick' gash in her leg, two broken and displaced ribs and a punctured lung Talking of the moment she came face to face with the animal, the mother from Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, said: 'As I was walking through, I noticed a cow was coming towards me, then it just started running. 'I didn't have time to run otherwise I would have. As it was running towards me in my head,d I was like 'uh-oh it's going to hit me'. 'It headbutted me in the face and I don't really remember falling to the floor but at some point between it hitting me and me hitting the floor I let go of the dog, which saved her life. 'I remember being on the floor and getting kicked from side to side and thinking 'relax and roll over onto your side so she's kicking behind you, protect your face'. 'The cow kicked me in the back of the leg where the hoof went in, she gave me a good old kick in my back, which broke the ribs and then I had other bruises. 'I got scared because at that point I thought "If she doesn't stop in a minute I could be in real trouble here". 'I'd seen these four guys coming in the opposite direction. I remember shouting "help" and one of them came running onto the field scaring it off and that was it, it was over. 'They told me it lasted 10-30 seconds, it was quite quick. They said it was like something you see in a movie.' A keen walker, who regularly walks, does spin and pilates, Ms Vaughan regularly completes 10-mile treks in the countryside and has never had issues with cattle before. She keeps Zayna on a short lead going through fields and said the dog walks silently at her heel when near cattle. Following a route suggested by a walking app, she approached a large public field and spotted 50 cows, but no calves, dotted around in clusters. She said the field had a string 'fence', around it that was approximately 2ft tall but as the gate to the field was open she walked into it - giving a wide berth to the cattle. She said she was within 16ft of the cow and inadvertently came between her and her calf. She said: 'I've been on walks before where there'll be a sign up saying "don't go in the field" because there's a bull or there are calves but there was no warning sign up. 'They'd put up string on wire poles, only a foot or two off the ground, in hindsight, I think it was to block off the footpath, there was no way round. 'You had to go in the field and follow the footpath.' She explained the gap between her and the cows dropped to about five metres when the attack happened. 'Afterwards we found out one of the problems was that the calf was on the other side, so the cow was separated from her calf. Then it all happened quite quickly,' she said. While dog Zayna was able to escape the onslaught, her owner was subjected to a brutal beating that only ended when the walkers scared the cow off. After painfully shuffling off the field, Laura was whisked to Hereford County Hospital, where she stayed for four days. Ms Vaughan said: 'The guys helped me up. One was first aid trained so he knew what to do. 'He said we had to get out of the field because the cow was still there and the calf was still somewhere too. I was just in shock. 'They helped me get off the field, which was quite painful. 'The injury on my leg was in the shape of the Nike tick. If that had been my head, that would have killed me.' A month on, Ms Vaughan is healing well and wants her story shared so others can avoid the same mistake. She said: 'I didn't carry a first aid kit. My advice would be to always carry one, a spare phone [battery] pack and make sure the trail app transmits your location as well if you stay in the same spot for a long time. 'My advice would be don't ever walk through fields of cows. If you have to walk through, make sure there's lots of distance. If you see any young, definitely don't go in the field.'
