Alarming photos emerge from Darling Downs Zoo after woman was attacked by a lion and had her arm ripped off

Alarming pictures have surfaced of close encounters between staff and big cats at a Queensland zoo, where a woman lost her arm after she was mauled by a lioness.

Questions have been raised over how the woman came into close contact with the animal that tore into her at Darling Downs Zoo near Toowoomba on Sunday morning. 

It has since been revealed the victim is zoo owner Stephanie Robinson’s sister, aged in her 50s. 

She was flown to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital following the horrific attack, which occurred while she was watching keepers work in the carnivore enclosure.

In a Facebook post released late on Monday the zoo said the woman had lost her arm and was stable in hospital.

‘It has still not been possible to interview her to establish what led to this tragic incident,’ the post read.

‘We can confirm that she was attacked by a lioness. She was not in it’s enclosure. It was not hungry, skinny, taunted or tortured – it is a lion.

‘It comes from a long line of captive born lions in Australia but it is still a lion – not a pet.’

Griffith University biologist Dr Alexander Braczkowski said images of dangerous predators and people in close contact were a ‘major red flag’ that contributed to the horrific incident. 

He said incidents like this highlighted the critical need for maintaining protective care for both zoo staff and the animals in their care.

‘The big question here is how the lion even got into close contact with the victim, the more critical question why was a non-zoo staff member even in proximity to a adult lioness,’ he said. 

‘At all times when servicing a dangerous animals enclosure the animal should be separated, keepers clean, exit the enclosure and the animal is returned, usually through a second enclosure connection.’ 

The zoo said in a statement on Monday the victim was in a stable condition in hospital and was surrounded by ‘extended family’ members.  

‘She has lost her arm. She is not an employee, a keeper or a zoo visitor. She is a much-loved member of the zoo owners’ family.’

In another statement released late on Sunday, Darling Downs Zoo said the injured woman was ‘not one of our immediate family nor a keeper’ and was watching zookeepers work in the carnivore precinct.

‘This is something that she has done many, many times over the past 20 years,’ the statement said. ‘She is well versed in safety protocols around potentially dangerous animals.

‘Inexplicably, at this stage, one animal grabbed her by one arm and caused severe damage to it.’

Flinders University conservationist and ecologist Gerrut Norval said animal attacks on humans were alarming, not only because of the harm done to humans, but also because the event places animals in a negative light.

The zoo said at no stage did the lion leave its enclosure, and there was no risk to staff members or members of the public. 

A Workplace Health and Safety Queensland spokesman declined to comment on the circumstances of the attack other than to say they were continuing its investigation into the incident. 

The lion involved will not be euthanised. 

‘What we have to remember is, whether they are in the wild or in captivity, wild animals remain wild animals and should be treated at all times with the utmost respect,’ he said.

‘In 2020, the owner of Lion Tree Top Lodge in South Africa was killed by a lion that he had hand-reared.

‘It is possible that a person may become overconfident and careless when working with a wild animal. 

‘People make mistakes and accidents happen. Or the animal was simply having an off day, remember, even family pet dogs bite.’

Four Paws director Rebecca Linigen said globally since 1990, there had been nearly 1,000 incidents involving big cats, resulting in 146 human deaths, 478 people mauled, and hundreds of big cats killed.

‘These are not isolated accidents,’ she said.

‘They are often the result of forced interactions between human and animal, human error or inadequate enclosures, which are all symptoms of a broken system that prioritises profit and entertainment over safety and welfare of animals and humans.’ 

Ms Linigen said big cats were not pets, or photo props and should not exist for entertainment. 

‘They remain wild animals, even when born in captivity,’ she said.

‘Their natural instincts cannot be bred out, trained away, tamed, or safely managed through experience alone.’

The small family-run zoo marked 20 years last month of operating on a 50 hectare property in rural Queensland.

Darling Downs Zoo’s managing director Steve Robinson has been keeping African lions and managing their husbandry and welfare for nearly 50 years. 

He and his wife, Stephanie, began breeding lions in 1997. 

The zoo remains closed to the public.