The zoo in Switzerland’s largest city says one of the park’s Siberian tigers killed a 55-year-old keeper.
BERLIN – One of the park’s Siberian tigers killed a 55-year-old caretaker at the Zurich Zoo, Swiss city officials said Saturday.
Horrified visitors raised the alarm after seeing the tiger attack the maid inside the big cat compound shortly after 1 p.m. (1100 GMT) on Saturday, prompting staff members to come to her aid.
They were able to lure the Siberian tiger, named Irina, away from their colleague and out of the compound while first responders attempted to revive the wounded archer.
Unfortunately, all the help came too late. The woman died at the scene, ”said Zurich police spokeswoman Judith Hoedl.
Hoedl said an investigation into the incident was launched, including why the guard was on the premises 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 moved to Zurich a year ago, according to the director of the Zurich Zoo, Severin Dressen. The tiger behaved normally, he said.
“Our total sympathy is with the victim’s relatives,” Dressen said, adding that the caretaker had been a long-term member of the zoo staff.
Visitors and colleagues who witnessed the attack were receiving psychological counseling, he said.
The zoo, which recently reopened after a coronavirus-related shutdown, will remain closed on Sunday.
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