Latest news with #DrAlexanderBraczkowski
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
Big cat expert offers terrifying theory behind what might have triggered lion's attack on woman in Darling Downs zoo
A big cat expert has revealed why a woman may have lost her arm during a lion attack in the enclosure of a Queensland zoo. Emergency services were called to Darling Downs Zoo, near Toowoomba, at about 8.30am on Sunday to reports a woman in her 50s had been bitten by one of the big cats. It's understand the woman, who was not employed by the zoo but has had more than 20 years experience with lions, was watching over the keepers working inside the carnivore enclosure. Conservation Biologist and Scientist Dr Alexander Braczkowski believes the incident could be a result of 'one million different things' when it comes to a behavioural standpoint. 'It could be a lowering of the human body level, generally big cats respond in some sort of fear to humans,' he told 'Humans in an upright stance, they kind of see us as a bipedal (two legged) ape with forward facing eyes – so if you get low, and if you change your body shape, that can obviously trigger certain inquisitiveness from the animal. 'From what I saw (the woman) was watching the keepers in the predator precinct. 'These people are in an enclosure with an adult lioness, even if it is in 'human hand raised'.' Dr Braczkowski, who splits his time between the Sunshine State and running a lion monitoring effort in Uganda, said regardless of the woman's experience no one except for registered staff should have been inside the enclosure. 'Essentially, gold international standard of managing big cats and any kind of large mammals is a practice known as protective care – it's protective care of both the keepers and the animals,' he said. 'That protective care is really about trying to minimise dangerous contact between the animals and the caretaker … so keeping actual space from the enclosure, or separating the animal in a secondary enclosure when you are cleaning or maintaining that cage. 'The second question is how did a non-member of staff even get into close proximity with an adult lioness? 'I'm not trying to be patronising, but I find it quite difficult to use the argument 'oh, this person has experience'.' The big cat expert said it was dangerous being in close proximity with a lion regardless of being in a captive setting. Talking about the lioness encounters offered to visitors by the zoo, Dr Braczkowski said: 'I've said to people 95 per cent of the time it'll probably be okay, but 5 per cent of the time it won't be okay – if you've got a 250kg male lion, 180kg lioness. 'You know they're going to do damage to you.' He praised the paramedics and hospital staff treating the woman, who remains in a stable condition at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital and is set to undergo further surgery. 'I think the Australian medical authorities should be immensely proud of themselves,' he said. 'Just the sheer damage that lions can do in terms of blood loss, in terms of actually hurting a person – I mean this is pretty much smack bang testament to that.' The woman – described as a 'much-loved member of our family' – had been observing keepers working when the incident occurred, the zoo said in a social media post on Sunday. 'This is something that she has done many, many times over the past 20 years,' it wrote. '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. At no stage did this animal leave its enclosure and there was no risk at all to staff members or members of the public.' The zoo confirmed the animal did not leave its enclosure at any stage and there was no risk to staff members or the public. Another follow-up post indicated the woman was not a keeper or an immediate family member of the owners, and also asserted the animal 'will definitely not be put down or punished in any way'.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
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 lion. 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. The woman, aged in her 50s, was flown to Brisbane 's Princess Alexandra Hospital following the horrific attack, which occurred while she was watching keepers work in the carnivore enclosure. Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls confirmed on Monday the woman had lost her arm and was 'recovering well' in hospital. She was due to undergo further surgery. 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. '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.' He said incidents like this highlighted the critical need for maintaining protective care for both zoo staff and the animals in their care. In a 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.' 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. 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. '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.
