A woman is recovering in Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital after being mauled by a lion at a zoo west of Brisbane.
The incident happened around 8:30am on Sunday at Darling Downs Zoo, south of Toowoomba, while the woman was observing zookeepers working inside the carnivore enclosure.
Emergency services were called to the zoo, and the woman was transported to hospital in a stable condition.
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It is understood that the 50-year-old lost an arm and was undergoing further surgery on Monday.
According to a statement, the zoo described the incident as “inexplicable” and confirmed that the lion involved would not be euthanased or punished.
“This is something that she has done many, many times over the past 20 years,” said in the statement.
“[The animal] definitely [should] not be put down or punished in any way.”
“Inexplicably, one animal grabbed her by one arm and caused severe damage.”
The incident is now under investigation by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.
Darling Downs Zoo was closed following the incident but is expected to reopen on Tuesday.
The privately owned zoo is home to several species of big cats and sits on a 48-hectare property two hours west of Brisbane.
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