Lion attack victim identified as Darling Downs Zoo owner Stephanie Robinson’s sister

The woman who lost her arm in a lion attack at a Queensland zoo on Sunday morning has been identified.

The woman who lost her arm in a lion attack at a Queensland zoo is the sister of the owner, Stephanie Robinson.

The woman in her 50s was attacked while watching keepers working in the carnivore enclosure at the Darling Downs Zoo, south of Toowoomba, on Sunday.

Emergency services were called to the zoo around 8:30am and transported her to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital in a stable condition.

In an update on their social media sites on Monday afternoon, the zoo owners said: “The lady involved in the incident is still in a stable condition in hospital and is surrounded by members of our extended family.

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A woman in her 50s lost her arm in a lion attack while observing keepers in the carnivore enclosure. Picture 7News

“She has lost her arm. She is not an employee, a keeper or a zoo visitor. She is a much-loved member of the zoo owners’ family.”

The Zoo owners said it still has not been possible to interview her to establish what led to this tragic incident.

“We can confirm that she was attacked by a lioness. She was not in it’s enclosure. It was not hungry, skinny, taunted or tortured – it is a lion. It comes from a long line of captive born lions in Australia but it is still a lion – not a pet. It will not be put down.”

Zoo owner Stephanie Robinson with 10-week-old lion cub Caesar at Darling Downs Zoo in late 2024. Picture: David Martinelli.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland is now investigating.

The zoo said it would open as usual at 9am on Tuesday, with a full program of free photo ops, educational talks and paid Encounters available.

Industry sources said Stephanie and her husband Steve were very well respected and had a long history with big cats.

“This is just devastating, and for something like this to happen to someone so close to them, this is something that will stay with them for the rest of their lives,” one source said.

“The family have always had carnivores and has a long history with them. The zoo is like the largest importer of animals into Australia,” another said. 

The zoo confirmed she was not an employee or visitor and the lioness that attacked her was not hungry or provoked; it will not be euthanised. Picture 7News

“Steve has done so much for private zoos being able to import their own animals and commercially give a chance to compete with government zoos who have never-ending pockets.”

Mr Robinson, the managing director of Darling Downs Zoo, brings almost half a century of experience in African lion husbandry and welfare management to his role.

He and Stephanie, commenced their lion breeding program in 1997.

In 2002, they relocated their animal collection to the Darling Downs region and initiated the establishment of Darling Downs Zoo.

The zoo houses both tawny and the less common white lions, in addition to two lion cubs.

For $150, visitors have the opportunity to engage in a close encounter with the lions, tigers, and leopards.

Originally published as Lion attack victim identified as Darling Downs Zoo owner Stephanie Robinson’s sister