Married At First Sight star under fire for shocking act with lions after woman lost her arm in QLD mauling

Daily Mail​

11-07-2025

Married At First Sight star Al Perkins sparked concern on Wednesday when he shared a video of himself getting up close and personal with lions while in Zambia.
The shocking video, filmed on a wildlife reserve, left fans reeling as they quickly pointed out the recent reports of a QLD woman who lost her arm to a lion on Sunday.
Jo Cabban, 46, a teacher from NSW, was flown to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital after being mauled at Darling Downs Zoo in Pilton, near Toowoomba.
But it seemed Perkins, 28, didn't have a care in the world, and he was seen walking down an African wildlife trail with two lions on either side of him.
'We are in Zambia with wild lions. This is crazy,' he said with a huge smile, as he reached down to pet one of the creatures as their tails flicked back and forth.
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Perkins' fans flocked to the comments in fear, with one writing: 'Haven't you heard about the woman in Queensland who lost her arm to a lioness 2 days ago?'
'What the f*** are you doing!!!!' wrote another.
A third added, 'Meanwhile in QLD a lady had her arm eaten off,' as someone else noted: 'Playing with fire, man.'
But while some were concerned for the Love Island star's safety, others praised Perkins for embarking on such a daring adventure.
'Awesome! Looks like a dream trip,' said one.
'So sick tho AL,' another commented.
'BROOOOO THIS IS SICK!!!!' someone else enthused.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Perkins for comment.
The shocking video, filmed on a wildlife reserve, left fans reeling as they quickly pointed out the recent reports of a QLD woman who lost her arm to a lion on Sunday
But while some were concerned for the Love Island star's safety, others praised Perkins for embarking on such a daring adventure
It comes after the Darling Downs Zoo co-owner Steve Robinson confirmed it was his sister-in-law who lost an arm in the lion attack.
Cabban is currently in stable condition in the hospital.
Robinson told media the victim is 'a lovely lady whose life has been altered'.
He said the attack shocked staff and the local community, where the family-owned business has operated since 2005.
'It's still very raw,' Robinson, who owns the zoo with his wife and Cabban's sister Stephanie Robinson, said.
Cabban visited the zoo several times in the school holidays over the past 20 years, acting as a photographer.
Robinson said although zoo staff were nearby, no one witnessed the attack near a holding pen and 'it was all over in a split second'.
'She certainly was not in the enclosure. Nobody goes into the enclosures with adult lions,' he said.
A lion keeper at the scene when the incident happened used a belt as a tourniquet, with Robinson saying the worker had saved his sister-in-law's life.
Robinson refused to describe his sister-in-law's injuries, saying they were: 'Too macabre.'
The attack did not happen in a part of the zoo open to the public, and there were no 'stand-off fences' as it was an area where the animal keepers worked.
The Courier Mail reported Cabban was in a cleaning pen with her sister and a keeper when the attack happened about 8.30am on Sunday, just 30 minutes before the zoo was due to open.
Robinson also said he was not sure why the attack happened.
'The best we can come up with, at this stage, is the lion was just playing,' Robinson said.
'How she was playing with a human in that circumstance is yet to be determined. This is not a lion fault. Lions are lions. This is what they are.'
The zoo previously said the victim was watching animal keepers work in the carnivore precinct when the attack occurred, and she was aware of safety protocols.
Queensland workplace health and safety authorities are investigating the incident.
Darling Downs Zoo confirmed in a message on Facebook the lion 'will definitely not be put down or punished in any way'.
The animal park reopened to the public on Tuesday.
Nationals leader David Littleproud encouraged locals to continue to attend the much-loved zoo.
'I express my sincere condolences to the woman involved in the events that unfolded at Darling Downs Zoo,' Littleproud said.
'This is a horrific incident. It is a tragedy and a shock to not just staff at the zoo, but the entire community.'
He added: 'I encourage locals to continue to visit and enjoy the zoo, which will need support from the community during this difficult time.'
The zoo, the major venue of its kind in regional Queensland,