Man attacked by tiger at Steve Irwin’s zoo in Queensland

Sydney (AFP) – A zookeeper was hospitalized on Tuesday after being attacked by a tiger at Australia Zoo, the Queensland institution made famous by the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin.

The lead tiger keeper is in serious but stable condition after being bitten on the neck and shoulder when the animal, which he had raised since it was a cub, became overly excited while playing, officials said.

“He is in a stable condition and recovering in hospital. We offer our support to him and his family,” Australia Zoo said on its Twitter account.

Australia Zoo director Wes Mennon said colleagues witnessed the attack and helped rescue the man, who has worked with big cats for nine years.

“At the time of the incident, our emergency team was immediately on site. They acted professionally and calmly. I take my hat off to them,” he said in a statement.

Officials said the man, whose name was not released, suffered two major stab wounds and was conscious when he was flown to a hospital in Brisbane.

RACQ Careflight doctor Andrew Haggerty said the injuries could have been worse.

“The neck is a very complex area and contains many important structures, including blood vessels and, perhaps most importantly, the airway… any bleeding in that area itself could cause significant complications,” he told reporters.

According to reports, the trainer was attacked after a show and the tiger bit the man on the shoulder and neck and then pushed him into the water feature in the enclosure.

“I saw the tiger attack at Australia Zoo today,” one man tweeted, before posting a photo of a media frenzy at the zoo.

“From hilarious to violent. I hope the poor guy recovers quickly,” wrote dbass9.

Australia Zoo, which keeps three Bengal and eight Sumatran tigers at its facility north of Brisbane, said it was conducting a comprehensive investigation.

Australia Zoo is a 100-hectare facility on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, made famous by Irwin, who starred in the highly successful wildlife documentary series The Crocodile Hunter.

Helicopter pilot Alan Carstens, who was called to the scene to take the man to hospital, said it had been a strange afternoon.

“I really thought someone was messing with me. They said, ‘It’s a tiger attack.’ I said ‘no,’ but it was,” he told reporters.

“We landed just outside the African (enclosure) area, right next to the tiger area.

“I was waiting with the helicopter and saw a turtle right in front of me. At first I thought it was a rock, but then it started moving.”