Sydney: A woman has been airlifted to the hospital after being bitten by a lion at a zoo in the Australian state of Queensland.
Emergency services were called to the Darling Downs Zoo, 110 km southwest of Brisbane, around 8:30 a.m. on Sunday following reports that a woman in her 50s had been attacked by an animal.
The woman, an employee of the zoo, suffered a significant arm injury and was airlifted to a Brisbane hospital in a stable condition.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the animal involved in the incident was a lion and that the woman lost an arm.
The zoo said in a statement posted on social media today afternoon that the woman was watching zookeepers working in the carnivore precinct when the animal grabbed her by the arm.
It said that at no stage did the animal leave its enclosure and there was no risk to the public.
The zoo said that the animal involved would not be put down or punished in any way.
"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," it said.
The Darling Downs Zoo, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in June, houses tigers, leopards and lions.
