Officials say Blue Zoo employee was bitten by shark

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – An employee at the Blue Zoo in West Des Moines was bitten by a shark Monday afternoon.

At approximately 3:07 p.m., the West Des Moines Fire Department responded to a report of a shark bite at the Blue Zoo in the 6900 block of Mills Civic Parkway.

According to the West Des Moines Fire Department, an employee was in a tank performing routine maintenance duties when he was bitten by a shark that was reported to be about 18 inches long. The employee was taken to a Des Moines hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The fire department said that the employee had professional training in animal care.

Blue Zoo, a non-AZA accredited zoo/aquarium, opened its West Des Moines location in May. There are also locations in Oklahoma, Washington, Louisiana and Arkansas.