Woman Loses Arm in Lion Attack at Australian Zoo

A woman lost an arm after she was attacked by a lion at an Australian zoo.

The incident took place Sunday at around 8.20 a.m. at the Darling Downs Zoo near Toowoomba in Queensland, according to the New York Post.

The woman in her 50s was watching zookeepers caring for the lion, according to a statement by the zoo.

"This morning, a much-loved member of our family was watching keepers working in the carnivore precinct," the statement read.

The woman had "done this many many times over the past 20 years," according to the statement.

"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.

There was no indication of where the woman was standing when the attack took place. She sustained "significant arm injury" and was airlifted to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, where she underwent surgery. According to reports, she was in stable condition at the time.

The Daily Mail reported that the woman was attacked by a lion and that she lost her arm in the incident.

Steve Robinson, managing director of Darling Downs Zoo, has nearly five decades of experience caring for African lions, the outlet noted. He and his wife, Stephanie Robinson, began breeding lions in 1997, and in 2002, they relocated their animal collection to Queensland’s Darling Downs region to establish the zoo. Today, the zoo houses tawny lions, rare white lions, and two lion cubs as well as several other big cat species, such as Sumatran tigers, cheetahs, and leopards.

In a separate statement shared to social media, the zoo said that its lionesses enjoyed "the company of humans immensely," according to the Daily Mail.

"Each day at 10am they are on supervised display to our visitors and are also available for some personalised encounters," the statement read.

"These encounters are strictly monitored to ensure their enjoyment of them and their well-being," the zoo added.