Latest news with #zooincident
The Guardian
15 hours ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Queensland zoo to reopen two days after woman loses arm to lioness
A woman has lost her arm after being attacked on Sunday at a Queensland zoo by a lioness, which the zoo insists 'was not hungry' or maltreated. Queensland's health minister, Tim Nicholls, confirmed that the woman, who is in her 50s, had 'lost her arm' in the attack, which took place at about 8.32am on Sunday at the Darling Downs zoo, south of Toowoomba. 'I got a report this morning, so she has had surgery, and she is recovering well in the PA [Princess Alexandra] hospital,' Nicholls said on Monday morning. 'And unfortunately, she has lost her arm.' She was in a stable condition in hospital on Monday evening. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email In a Facebook post on Monday afternoon, Darling Downs zoo said the victim was 'not an employee, a keeper or a zoo visitor', but 'a much-loved member of the zoo owners' family'. In a post on Sunday, they said the woman had been 'watching keepers working in the carnivore precinct', something they said she had 'done many, many times over the past 20 years'. 'It has still not been possible to interview her to establish what led to this tragic incident,' the zoo wrote in the Monday post, adding that there was no plan for the animal to be put down. 'We can confirm that she was attacked by a lioness. She was not in its enclosure.' The zoo emphasised in the post that the animal 'was not hungry, skinny, taunted or tortured'. 'A full investigation has been carried out by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland,' they went on. 'As a result the Darling Downs zoo will reopen at 9am tomorrow [Tuesday] morning.' A spokesperson from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said on Monday evening that the incident was 'still an ongoing and active WHSQ investigation'. 'WHSQ inspectors have issued a number of compliance notices to the business to ensure compliance with WHS legislation.' In a Facebook post published on Sunday, the zoo had previously said the animal did not leave its enclosure during the attack and 'there was no risk at all to staff members or members of the public'. The zoo did not respond to questions on Monday afternoon as to whether additional steps had been taken to improve safety at the facility. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Darling Downs zoo turns 20 this year. In a Facebook post published on Sunday, the zoo said the animal did not leave its enclosure during the attack and 'there was no risk at all to staff members or members of the public'. The zoo plans to reopen at the normal time of 9am tomorrow. It did not respond to questions about what steps had been taken to improve safety at the facility. A spokesperson from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said the organisation is continuing its investigation into the incident. It did not confirm whether it had approved the reopening plans. Nationals leader and Queensland MP David Littleproud said on Monday that the attack was a 'tragic incident' but that Darling Downs zoo had operated safely for 'many, many years'. 'We need to understand and appreciate the circumstances that led to this before we make any judgment and allow that to happen in the right environment,' he said. Littleproud encouraged locals to continue to visit the zoo, 'which will need support from the community during this difficult time'. 'As someone that's a local to that part of the world, it's shocked much of the community, and it's a very important economic part of our part of Queensland. So our thoughts are with them and the zoo today.' It is not the first big cat attack at a Queensland site in recent months. Dreamworld reportedly ended human interaction with its tigers after an attack on a handler in September 2024.
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Woman suffers severe arm injury after being mauled by lion in Aussie zoo
A woman in her 50s suffered a 'significant' arm injury after being mauled by a lion at a zoo in Australia. The Darling Downs Zoo, in Queensland, said the woman was watching zookeepers in the carnivore precinct when she was set upon at around 8.20am Sunday. It's believed she may have lost her arm in the attack, and is now in a stable condition after having surgery Sunday afternoon. In a statement released late on Sunday, Darling Downs Zoo said the injured woman was 'not one of our immediate family nor a keeper' and was watching zookeepers work in the carnivore precinct. 'This is something that she has done many, many times over the past 20 years,' the statement said. 'She is well versed in safety protocols around potentially dangerous animals. 'Inexplicably, at this stage, one animal grabbed her by one arm and caused severe damage to it.' The zoo said at no stage did the lion leave its enclosure and there was no risk to staff members or members of the public. The lion will not be put down or punished in any way, according to the statement. Darling Downs Zoo's managing director, Steve Robinson, has been keeping African lions and managing their husbandry and welfare for nearly 50 years. He and his wife, Stephanie, began breeding lions in 1997. In 2002, they moved their animal collection to the Darling Downs region west of Brisbane and started building the Darling Downs Zoo. The zoo is home to tawny lions and rare white lions, as well as two lion cubs. Visitors can pay $150 for an up-close encounter with the lions, tigers and leopards. The zoo's website said a specially trained keeper accompanied guests as they went behind the scenes to feed the big cats meat using a pair of tongs, billing it as the 'thrill of a lifetime.' Two weeks ago, the zoo posted that its lionesses enjoyed 'the company of humans immensely.' 'Each day at 10am they are on supervised display to our visitors and are also available for some personalized encounters,' the post read. 'These encounters are strictly monitored to ensure their enjoyment of them and their wellbeing.' The natural lifespan of lions is usually only up to around 14 years in the wild but in captivity they can live much longer, according to the zoo. The zoo is home to multiple big cat species including Sumatran tigers, cheetahs and leopards. Police and Workplace Health and Safety personnel are on site investigating the incident. The zoo is working with them to establish how this incident occurred but the full details are unlikely to be known until the woman is out of surgery. The zoo will reopen on Monday after being closed for the day on Sunday.
News.com.au
16 hours ago
- News.com.au
Lion attack victim identified as Darling Downs Zoo owner Stephanie Robinson's sister
The woman who lost her arm in a lion attack at a Queensland zoo is the sister of the owner, Stephanie Robinson. The woman in her 50s was attacked while watching keepers working in the carnivore enclosure at the Darling Downs Zoo, south of Toowoomba, on Sunday. Emergency services were called to the zoo around 8:30am and transported her to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital in a stable condition. In an update on their social media sites on Monday afternoon, the zoo owners said: 'The lady involved in the incident is still in a stable condition in hospital and is surrounded by members of our extended family. 'She has lost her arm. She is not an employee, a keeper or a zoo visitor. She is a much-loved member of the zoo owners' family.' The Zoo owners said it still has not been possible to interview her to establish what led to this tragic incident. 'We can confirm that she was attacked by a lioness. She was not in it's enclosure. It was not hungry, skinny, taunted or tortured – it is a lion. It comes from a long line of captive born lions in Australia but it is still a lion – not a pet. It will not be put down.' Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is now investigating. The zoo said it would open as usual at 9am on Tuesday, with a full program of free photo ops, educational talks and paid Encounters available. Industry sources said Stephanie and her husband Steve were very well respected and had a long history with big cats. 'This is just devastating, and for something like this to happen to someone so close to them, this is something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives,' one source said. 'The family have always had carnivores and has a long history with them. The zoo is like the largest importer of animals into Australia,' another said. 'Steve has done so much for private zoos being able to import their own animals and commercially give a chance to compete with government zoos who have never-ending pockets.' Mr Robinson, the managing director of Darling Downs Zoo, brings almost half a century of experience in African lion husbandry and welfare management to his role. He and Stephanie, commenced their lion breeding program in 1997. In 2002, they relocated their animal collection to the Darling Downs region and initiated the establishment of Darling Downs Zoo. The zoo houses both tawny and the less common white lions, in addition to two lion cubs. For $150, visitors have the opportunity to engage in a close encounter with the lions, tigers, and leopards.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Woman ‘loses arm' in lion attack at Australian zoo
A woman has suffered severe arm injuries after being attacked by a lion at an Australian zoo. The 50-year-old was at Queensland's Darling Downs Zoo, south of Toowomba, on Sunday morning, when the incident occurred. She had been observing animal keepers in the carnivore precinct before opening hours. She was airlifted by helicopter from the rural town of Pilton to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital for surgery and is now in a stable condition, the zoo said in a statement. Several news outlets reported that the woman lost the injured arm. Zoo staff are now cooperating with government workplace safety investigators to establish how the incident happened, with the state government confirming an investigation is underway. "Inexplicably ... 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 woman was not a staff member but a "much loved member" of the zoo's "family", the statement added. She had watched keepers at work many times over the past 20 years and was "well versed in safety protocols around potentially dangerous animals", the zoo said. '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.' Staff at the 48-hectare (119-acre) zoo declined media interviews on Monday. The zoo planned to reopen on Tuesday for the first time since the attack. "The animal will definitely not be put down or punished in any way," the statement said. Five years ago, two lions mauled and critically injured a keeper inside their enclosure at the Shoalhaven Zoo in the state of New South Wales.
The Independent
17 hours ago
- The Independent
Woman ‘loses arm' in lion attack at Australian zoo
A woman has suffered severe arm injuries after being attacked by a lion at an Australian zoo. The 50-year-old was at Queensland 's Darling Downs Zoo, south of Toowomba, on Sunday morning, when the incident occurred. She had been observing animal keepers in the carnivore precinct before opening hours. She was airlifted by helicopter from the rural town of Pilton to Brisbane 's Princess Alexandra Hospital for surgery and is now in a stable condition, the zoo said in a statement. Several news outlets reported that the woman lost the injured arm. Zoo staff are now cooperating with government workplace safety investigators to establish how the incident happened, with the state government confirming an investigation is underway. "Inexplicably ... 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 woman was not a staff member but a "much loved member" of the zoo's "family", the statement added. She had watched keepers at work many times over the past 20 years and was "well versed in safety protocols around potentially dangerous animals", the zoo said. '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.' Staff at the 48-hectare (119-acre) zoo declined media interviews on Monday. The zoo planned to reopen on Tuesday for the first time since the attack. "The animal will definitely not be put down or punished in any way," the statement said. Five years ago, two lions mauled and critically injured a keeper inside their enclosure at the Shoalhaven Zoo in the state of New South Wales.
