Australia news

'Harrowing' Shoalhaven zoo lion attack leaves zookeeper with serious injuries

The zoo employee, who is in her 30s, was reportedly in critical condition and was being treated by several ambulance crews

A female zookeeper has been attacked by a lion at a zoo on the New South Wales south coast.

Emergency services were called to Shoalhaven Zoo on Friday morning after reports the woman, in her mid 30s, suffered serious face and neck injuries in the attack, a NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said.

Police were called on to the scene just before 10.30am following reports a zookeeper had been attacked by a lion, a NSW police spokeswoman said.

The zookeeper was cleaning the enclosure at the time.

Several ambulance crews, including a rescue helicopter, were called to treat the woman, who is in a critical condition.

She was treated on the ambulance before being airlifted to St George Hospital in a critical condition.

The 35-year-old woman’s injuries were to her head and neck.

NSW Ambulance duty operations manager inspector Faye Stockmen said it was “one of the worst jobs” she had experienced.

“I have never come across a job like this in my career,” she said. “It was absolutely harrowing.”

Stockmen said she had to walk into the lion’s den to reach the zookeeper.

“It is an incredibly dangerous situations, both for the patient and the paramedics,” she said. “Being the first to walk into the enclosure was one of the most frightening experiences – we literally had to walk into a lion’s den”

Stockmen said the attack was “extremely vicious” and the woman had severe injuries.

Police have established a crime scene and Safework NSW has been notified.

The zoo had been closed since 25 March due to the coronavirus pandemic.