Zurich zookeeper killed by Siberian tiger in front of visitors
- The 55-year-old woman, who died at the scene of the incident, was killed by a five-year-old tiger named Irina
- Witnesses to the incident and zoo staff were receiving counselling
A 55-year-old keeper at Zurich’s zoo was killed by one of the park’s Siberian tigers, officials in the Swiss city said.
Horrified visitors raised the alarm after seeing the tiger attack the female keeper inside the big cat enclosure shortly after 1pm on Saturday, prompting staff members to rush to her aid.
They were able to lure the Siberian tiger, named Irina, away from their colleague and out of the enclosure while first responders tried to revive the injured keeper.
“Sadly all help came too late. The woman died at the scene,” Zurich police spokeswoman Judith Hoedl said.
Hoedl said an investigation has been launched into the incident, including why the keeper was in the enclosure at the same time as the tiger.
The Siberian tiger, named Irina, was born in 2015 at a zoo in the Danish city of Odense and transferred to Zurich a year ago, according to Zoo Zurich director Severin Dressen. The tiger behaved normally, he said.
