Tiger ‘nearly tears off’ woman’s arm at Tiger King star Carole Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue sanctuary
- Volunteer Candy Couser was bitten by a three-year-old male named Kimba when she went to feed it
- Her arm was broken in three places and her shoulder was badly injured
A woman volunteer who regularly feeds big cats was bitten and seriously injured by a tiger on Thursday morning at Carole Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue sanctuary in Florida, which was made famous by the Netflix series Tiger King, officials said.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue received a trauma alert call about 8.30am Thursday from the sanctuary, said agency spokesman Eric Seidel.
Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, said in an email that the volunteer, Candy Couser, 69, was feeding a three-year-old male tiger named Kimba when she noticed the animal was not in his usual location. Baskin said Couser opened a gate that had been clipped shut but she reached in to unclip it.
“This is our universal signal NOT to open a gate” without assistance, Baskin said. “It is against our protocols for anyone to stick any part of their body into a cage with a cat in it.”
“Kimba grabbed her arm and nearly tore it off at the shoulder,” Baskin added.
Couser was taken to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries after staff and other volunteers at Big Cat Rescue sought to stop the bleeding, Baskin said. Later on Thursday, Baskin said Couser’s arm was broken in three places and her shoulder was badly injured but she was able to move her fingers. Surgery was scheduled later in the day.