A female zookeeper, aged 55, was fatally mauled by a Siberian tiger at Zurich Zoo, in front of shocked onlookers.
Named Irina, the tiger attacked the zookeeper within the big cat enclosure around 1pm local time on Saturday, July 4th.
Visitors raised the alarm as the attack unfolded.
Although the staff attempted to resuscitate the zookeeper, Zurich police spokeswoman Judith Hoedl stated, “sadly all help came too late.”
According to a zoo spokesperson, the zoo’s internal emergency center received a message about the attack, prompting a group of zookeepers to intervene.
“They succeeded in luring Irina away from the animal keeper, out of the facility and into the stable, but the 55-year-old woman unfortunately died on the spot despite immediate resuscitation measures,” the statement continued.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the tragic incident and why the zookeeper was in the tiger enclosure at the same time.
The zoo director, Severin Dressen, expressed sympathies for the victim’s relatives and confirmed that she had been a long-term member of the zoo staff.
“This is a young animal that so far has behaved entirely naturally as a tiger does,” Dressen added, referring to Irina, who was born in 2015 at a zoo in Odense and transferred to Zurich a year ago.
Irina replaced a female tiger who passed away due to complications after a fight with another tiger in the enclosure, Sayan.
Colleagues and visitors who witnessed the tragic event were receiving psychological counseling, and the zoo, despite recently reopening after a coronavirus shutdown, will remain closed on Sunday.
