Tiger attacks Kansas zookeeper in full view of visitors after ‘error’ brought the two together
- After about 10 minutes staff members were able to lure the tiger into an indoor pen, away from the keeper, using its food ration
A rare Sumatran tiger attacked a worker at the Topeka Zoo in Kansas on Saturday, wounding the back of her head and neck before other staff members were able to coax the animal away with food, officials said.
The zookeeper was alert and awake when she was rushed to a hospital, where she was listed in stable condition, city of Topeka spokeswoman Molly Hadfield said by phone.
The victim, the primary tiger keeper at the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Centre, was in the predator’s outdoor habitat when she was attacked, zoo director Brendan Wiley said at a news conference.
Somehow, the seven-year-old male tiger named Sanjiv entered the habitat, which is never supposed to happen when a person is present, Wiley said.
“There was some sort of error that occurred here,” Wiley said, adding that the incident was under investigation. “Some of our staff witnessed some things that you hope you go through a career without witnessing.”
Some visitors also saw Sanjiv injure the worker, who suffered lacerations and punctures to her head and neck, and also was wounded on her back and an arm, he said.