Two lions mauled a zookeeper Friday morning in Australia.
The 35-year-old woman found herself trapped with two adult male lions while cleaning their enclosure at the Shoalhaven Zoo south of Sydney.
She suffered bites and lacerations on her head and neck in the "extremely vicious" attack, according to reports, citing emergency officials.
The employee, who has not been identified, remained in critical condition after being airlifted to a nearby hospital.
Paramedics arrived after 10:30 a.m. local time and found the woman lying unconscious inside the enclosure.
One of the emergency technicians described entering the animals’ enclosure as “absolutely harrowing.”
"We literally had to walk into a lion's den," Faye Stockman said, according to CNN. "This is one of the worst jobs I have ever experienced."
Both lions were lured from the area and locked down shortly after the attack, according to detective Greg Moore, who added the animals may be put down later depending on the outcome of the investigation.
The zoo has been closed for several weeks due to the pandemic.
In 2014, another zookeeper at Shoalhaven survived with injuries after being dragged into water by a crocodile.
MORE HEADLINES:
About the Author
