Russian zookeeper attacked by tiger as onlookers threw chairs at it

A zookeeper in the Russian city of Kaliningrad has been mauled by a tiger.

According to the BBC, the zookeeper in questioned is recovering after an Amur tiger, named 'Typhoon', attacked her.

A statement from the Kaliningrad Zoo, states the incident occurred on Sunday at noon. Typhoon was warded off from the zookeeper when onlookers threw stones, tables, and seating in order to scare the tiger away, allowing the as yet unnamed zookeeper to escape.

They were reportedly transferred to the Regional Clinical Hospital.

A spokesperson for the zoo told the BBC that police were investigating the incident.

[The zookeeper's] condition is stable and her life is not in danger...

The tiger - Typhoon - is still in his enclosure, and we're leaving him alone.

The spokesperson confirmed that the zookeeper and Typhoon ought not to have been in the enclosure together, in breach of the rules.

The statement from the zoo stated that Typhoon is 16-years-old, (one year older than their average life-span) has never shown aggression towards zoo staff.

It is also the first time in the history of the zoo that any tiger has attacked staff. Amur tigers are kept in multiple Russian zoos.

HT BBC

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