A woman was attacked and seriously injured Saturday morning by a tiger at the Topeka Zoo in Kansas.
The attack occurred around 9:15 a.m. when Sanjiv, a seven-year-old Sumatran tiger, tackled the zoo’s primary tiger keeper in front of a crowd of horrified spectators.
The keeper, who has not been named, suffered lacerations and puncture wounds across her back, neck, head and arm. Zoo Director Brendan Wiley said during a press conference that the victim was taken to the hospital “awake and alert”.
Officials say the victim has a longstanding relationship with Sanjiv. The male tiger is a rare member of a critically endangered species, and is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ species survival plan for Sumatran tigers.
The zoo is investigating the incident, but Wiley says there is no plan to put Sanjiv down.