Komodo dragon takes a bite out of zookeeper
An Omaha zoo worker has been bitten by a Komodo dragon treated at a local hospital.
The female worker was taken from the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to a hospital after the incident occurred around 12.30pm on Sunday. Later in the afternoon, the zoo said in a statement the worker had been released and should recover fully. The zoo said earlier media reports that the worker was critically injured were incorrect.
Assistant general curator Stephanie Huettner said the worker needed stiches to close up the wound on her hand.
The animal involved was a juvenile Komodo dragon. The zoo said the animal is about 1.2 metres long and weighs about 4.5kg.
The zoo currently has one adult Komodo dragon and two juveniles on display.
Adult Komodo dragons can weigh more than 135kg and reach 3 metres in length. The carnivorous lizards can also run up to 18km/h in short bursts, according to the National Geographic website.
The Omaha zoo is a well-regarded facility. Earlier this year, travel website TripAdvisor ranked the zoo first in the world with some 1.7 million visitors a year.
