logo
Woman loses arm in lion attack at Australian zoo

Woman loses arm in lion attack at Australian zoo

Telegraph9 hours ago
A woman in her 50s has lost her arm after being mauled by a lion at a private zoo in rural Australia.
The attack took place on Sunday morning at Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland, as the woman was observing zookeepers working inside the carnivore precinct before the zoo had opened to the public.
According to the zoo, a lion suddenly grabbed her by the arm, inflicting severe injuries. She was airlifted from the town of Pilton to a hospital in the state's capital, Brisbane, and underwent emergency surgery.
Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls later confirmed that her arm could not be saved. She remains in hospital and is expected to require further treatment.
The woman was not a member of staff but had long-standing ties to the zoo. In a statement, the zoo said she was a 'much-loved member of our family' who had been observing keepers at work for more than 20 years and was 'well-versed in safety protocols around potentially dangerous animals'.
'She is well-versed in safety protocols around potentially dangerous animals.'
Zoo officials said the lion involved had not recently been 'cubbed', which can sometimes increase aggression in big cats and 'will definitely not be put down or punished in any way'.
The zoo is working with workplace safety authorities to determine how the incident occurred, though a full account may not emerge until the woman is able to speak with investigators.
Darling Downs Zoo, which opened in 2004 and spans 48 hectares, is home to several species of big cats including lions, tigers and leopards. It has been owned and run for two decades by Steve and Stephanie Robinson.
Mr Robinson said he had not yet spoken to the woman but would provide an update once she had undergone further surgery, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation,
Local MP David Littleproud described the incident as 'horrific' and said it had deeply shocked the community.
'It is a tragedy and a shock to not just staff at the zoo, but the entire community.'
The last serious lion attack in Australia occurred in 2020, when a zookeeper was critically injured by two lions at Shoalhaven Zoo in New South Wales.
Darling Downs Zoo is expected to reopen to the public on Tuesday.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Skin cancer doctor shares shocking video of 'worst melanoma' he's ever seen: 'They don't always look like moles'
Skin cancer doctor shares shocking video of 'worst melanoma' he's ever seen: 'They don't always look like moles'

Daily Mail​

time21 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Skin cancer doctor shares shocking video of 'worst melanoma' he's ever seen: 'They don't always look like moles'

Don't ignore new bumps on the skin, even if they do not look like typical red-flag warning signs of skin cancer, a leading GP has warned. Melanoma is one of the most dangerous types of cancer, accounting for four out of five deaths. Experts have long urged the public to look out for moles which have grown in size, changed colour or shape, as these are tell-tale signs that it may have become cancerous. But now, Dr John O'Bryen, a specialist GP at Body Scan Skin Cancer Clinic, Australia wants to remind people that not all melanomas present as freckles or moles. 'Not all melanomas are brown and black' he said in a TikTok video that has been viewed nearly 106,000 times. In the video he showed a close-up of 'the worst melanoma' he has ever seen—the second most common type of melanoma which can develop anywhere on the body. 'Nodular melanomas grow quickly and cause the greatest fatality', he reminded his followers before urging them to see a doctor if they are concerned about any changes to their skin. He explained: 'A man came to me last week concerned about a new bump on his arm. It was red and had quickly grown in size.' @skincancerdoctor Scary! Not all melanomas are brown and black! Nodular melanomas grow quickly and cause the greatest fatality. See a doctor urgently if you are concerned! ‼️ I performed an excisional biopsy of this and the patient will see a melanoma surgeon and medical oncologist.👨‍⚕️ My HEINE DELTA 30 PRO dermatoscope 🔍 continues to assist me in diagnosing skin cancers. Last year, I found and treated 1000! For general information about HEINE and their dermatoscopes please visit #melanoma #skincancer #heine #skincancerdoctor #dermoscopy #dermatoscope ♬ original sound - skincancerdoctor The melanoma was around 4mm wide and presented as elevated, firm and growing. The seconds-long clip saw the medic using a magnifying lens to really zoom in on the painful-looking legion, revealing a patchy network of bloody vessels and white patches. Further inspection revealed 'white polarising lines' and 'polymorphous vessels', both of which point to skin cancer. According to Cancer Research UK, nodular melanomas tend to grow downwards, into the deeper layers of the skin. A tell-tale sign of this type of melanoma is a raised area on the surface of the skin anywhere on the body. This type of cancer is most commonly found in people in their 40s and 50s. When diagnosing melanoma skin cancer—cancer that starts in cells called melanocytes found in the skin, tissue lining some parts of the body such as the mouth, and the eye—doctors typically use a checklist known as the ABCDEs. This includes asymmetry, border, colour, diameter and evolving moles as tell-tale warning signs for the disease. However, the charity warns that having some of these changes on their own does not definitely confirm melanoma—with some non-cancerous moles causing the surrounding skin to become itchy. Even so, Dr O'Bryen urged his followers to contact their GP if they experience any changes to their skin, even if they have none of the ABCDE signs. This can help doctors diagnose the cancer early, before it has spread around the body. At this early stage, doctors can remove the cancerous cells in a simple surgery performed under local anesthetic. It comes as Cancer Research UK predict there could be as many as 26,5000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed every year by 2040—with the incidence rate rising faster than any other common cancer. Currently around 17,500 people are diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer each year, but experts nearly 90 per cent of skin cancer cases could be avoided. This is because most skin cancers are caused by sun damage, and more specifically over-exposure to ultraviolet rays either directly from the sun or sunbeds. As such, the NHS recommends staying out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, when UV rays are strongest, keeping legs and arms covered and using sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30. Dr O'Bryen's advice comes as patients with the deadliest type of skin cancer are set to be given fast-tracked access to a revolutionary cancer vaccine on the NHS. The needle-free injection is custom-built for patients to stop their melanoma returning—which experts believe will herald a new era in fighting the disease. It works by boosting the immune system's response, helping it to 'attack' proteins that are specific to melanoma tumours, preventing them from returning. Currently, around half of patients diagnosed with melanoma respond to immunotherapy. But those who don't are at a higher risk of their cancer getting worse.

Australia's poker machine influencers ‘fuelling gambling addiction'
Australia's poker machine influencers ‘fuelling gambling addiction'

Times

timean hour ago

  • Times

Australia's poker machine influencers ‘fuelling gambling addiction'

A social media trend has been accused of glamorising gambling on poker machines by Australia's top body for doctors, as it calls on politicians to restrict the viral content. Videos and live streams have cropped up across the country's social media showing influencers inserting hundreds of dollars into slot machines, known as poker machines, or pokies, in Australia. Some so-called 'pokies influencers' promise to pour money into the machines until their accounts gain a certain number of followers. At least one video appears to show a small child gambling on an iPad with comments reading 'good time to start' and 'teach 'em young'. Danielle McMullen, the president of the Australian Medical Association, said the 'shocking' content clearly targets young people and seeks 'to glamorise what is a dangerous habit'. 'These videos show that our regulations around gambling just aren't keeping up with the 21st century,' she added. 'They are essentially ads for gambling and our governments need to take a long hard look about how we get on top of this content.' The videos uploaded to Instagram with hashtags like 'pokieswin' show users winning huge jackpots without documenting their losses. One influencer, Jon Redman, offers to put a A$1,000 (£478) on red on a casino roulette machine for every 10,000 new followers. The trend comes after a report published last month suggested that despite declining participation in gambling, electronic gaming machines have led to an 'intensification effect since 2014, where higher gambling spend is concentrated among fewer players'. Those who were at higher risk of gambling harm were deemed to be most vulnerable, and could be exposed to tangible costs including bankruptcy. The report by the Victorian government found the social cost of gambling in the state doubled from A$7 billion in 2014-15 to A$14 billion in 2022-23. Commenting on the latest trend on Instagram, Meta, the company that owns the social media platform, said it would 'remove any content that does not comply with our standards as soon as we become aware' of it. 'Both the advertiser and creator must obtain written permission to promote real money gambling and must comply with all applicable Australian laws and regulations,' a Meta spokesperson told The Guardian newspaper. • It could be game over for Australia as world's sports betting capital The uploads, despite allegedly promoting gambling, do not seem to have been published in partnership with any gambling company or venue so can not be strictly defined as advertising. Last month, Australian influencers faced fines for inadvertently promoting an offshore bookmaker licensed and regulated from a remote island off the east coast of Africa. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has threatened influencers with fines up to A$59,400 for 'promoting or publicising illegal online gambling services'. Videos posted by multiple influencers linked to Leon Australia's website, which provides online sports betting, and shared financial incentives for users to create accounts. Jon Redman was approached for comment.

Queensland zoo to reopen two days after woman loses arm to lioness
Queensland zoo to reopen two days after woman loses arm to lioness

The Guardian

time6 hours ago

  • The Guardian

Queensland zoo to reopen two days after woman loses arm to lioness

A woman has lost her arm after being attacked on Sunday at a Queensland zoo by a lioness, which the zoo insists 'was not hungry' or maltreated. Queensland's health minister, Tim Nicholls, confirmed that the woman, who is in her 50s, had 'lost her arm' in the attack, which took place at about 8.32am on Sunday at the Darling Downs zoo, south of Toowoomba. 'I got a report this morning, so she has had surgery, and she is recovering well in the PA [Princess Alexandra] hospital,' Nicholls said on Monday morning. 'And unfortunately, she has lost her arm.' She was in a stable condition in hospital on Monday evening. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email In a Facebook post on Monday afternoon, Darling Downs zoo said the victim was 'not an employee, a keeper or a zoo visitor', but 'a much-loved member of the zoo owners' family'. In a post on Sunday, they said the woman had been 'watching keepers working in the carnivore precinct', something they said she had 'done many, many times over the past 20 years'. 'It has still not been possible to interview her to establish what led to this tragic incident,' the zoo wrote in the Monday post, adding that there was no plan for the animal to be put down. 'We can confirm that she was attacked by a lioness. She was not in its enclosure.' The zoo emphasised in the post that the animal 'was not hungry, skinny, taunted or tortured'. 'A full investigation has been carried out by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland,' they went on. 'As a result the Darling Downs zoo will reopen at 9am tomorrow [Tuesday] morning.' A spokesperson from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said on Monday evening that the incident was 'still an ongoing and active WHSQ investigation'. 'WHSQ inspectors have issued a number of compliance notices to the business to ensure compliance with WHS legislation.' In a Facebook post published on Sunday, the zoo had previously said the animal did not leave its enclosure during the attack and 'there was no risk at all to staff members or members of the public'. The zoo did not respond to questions on Monday afternoon as to whether additional steps had been taken to improve safety at the facility. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Darling Downs zoo turns 20 this year. In a Facebook post published on Sunday, the zoo said the animal did not leave its enclosure during the attack and 'there was no risk at all to staff members or members of the public'. The zoo plans to reopen at the normal time of 9am tomorrow. It did not respond to questions about what steps had been taken to improve safety at the facility. A spokesperson from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said the organisation is continuing its investigation into the incident. It did not confirm whether it had approved the reopening plans. Nationals leader and Queensland MP David Littleproud said on Monday that the attack was a 'tragic incident' but that Darling Downs zoo had operated safely for 'many, many years'. 'We need to understand and appreciate the circumstances that led to this before we make any judgment and allow that to happen in the right environment,' he said. Littleproud encouraged locals to continue to visit the zoo, 'which will need support from the community during this difficult time'. 'As someone that's a local to that part of the world, it's shocked much of the community, and it's a very important economic part of our part of Queensland. So our thoughts are with them and the zoo today.' It is not the first big cat attack at a Queensland site in recent months. Dreamworld reportedly ended human interaction with its tigers after an attack on a handler in September 2024.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store