Queensland lion attack: What we know so far

The co-owner of Darling Downs Zoo, Steve Robinson, has confirmed that the woman who “inexplicably” lost her arm in a lion attack on Sunday morning was his sister-in-law.

The woman, in her 50s, awoke in hospital on Monday after suffering major injuries – but how did she end up close enough to the big cat?

The woman was airlifted to hospital after being bitten.Credit: Nine News

What happened

Emergency services were called at 8.23am on Sunday to Darling Downs Zoo, on Baines Road at Pilton, and arrived to find the woman with “significant arm injuries”.

The woman was airlifted to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane about 8.40am, but her arm could not be saved. She underwent emergency surgery, but no amputation procedure was performed at the hospital.

A Darling Downs Zoo spokesperson said in statements issued on Sunday the injured woman had been “watching keepers working in the carnivore precinct”, and at no stage had the animal left its cage.

“This is something she has done many, many times over the past 20 years. She is well-versed in safety protocols around potentially dangerous animals,” the statement read.

“Inexplicably, at this stage, one animal grabbed her by one arm and caused severe damage to it.”

Speaking to media outside the reopened zoo on Tuesday morning, Robinson said the woman – a teacher visiting from NSW – had often visited the zoo.

“Each holiday, she drives up from where she lives to the zoo ... you’re looking about 80 times she’s been up here, and she has done exactly what she was doing on the morning of this accident,” he said.

In a statement on Monday afternoon, the zoo confirmed she had lost her arm, but was not in the enclosure with the lioness at the time of the attack.

Robinson said a nearby zookeeper grabbed a belt from his wife, co-owner Stephanie Robinson, and used it as a tourniquet, saving his sister-in-law’s life.

He said she had undergone additional emergency surgery on Tuesday morning and “was not terribly lucid” so could not provide details about the incident, in which he said the big cat was “just playing” with the woman, rather than attacking her.

“It’s something that lions do – lions can play with each other like this and not hurt each other. Humans are much, much more fragile, and that’s the tragedy,” Robinson said.

He said the woman was in a stable condition, adding the situation was “still very, very raw” for the zoo community.

“Emotionally, both her and my wife are on a roller coaster,” he said.

“We’re still processing in our minds and coming to grips with not just what happened but what happens next.”

The investigation

After closing on Sunday and Monday, the zoo reopened at 9am on Tuesday.

Police and Workplace Health and Safety personnel arrived on Sunday to begin investigations.

“The zoo is working with them to establish how this incident occurred, but the full details will not be known until our family member can be interviewed,” the Darling Downs Zoo spokesperson said.

A Workplace Health and Safety Queensland spokeswoman said the investigation was still active on Tuesday.

“Inspectors have issued a number of compliance notices to the business to ensure compliance with workplace health and safety legislation,” the spokeswoman said.

The zoo said it would not euthanise or otherwise punish the animal involved.

What is the Darling Downs Zoo

The Darling Downs Zoo is a two-hour drive from Brisbane, sitting 100 kilometres to the south-west. It is owned and managed by the Robinsons, who purchased the 49-hectare property in 2001.

Darling Downs Zoo co-owner Stephanie Robinson with a Sumatran tiger.Credit: Darling Downs Zoo

Locals from nearby communities in Allora and Clifton – which boast populations of about 1500 each – said the zoo was particularly popular with people from Toowoomba, the nearest major town that sits about 40 kilometres directly north of the zoo.

It has partnered with a number of local businesses and schools, who declined to comment.

The Robinsons moved their animal collection to the property in 2002 and began building the zoo. They opened the zoo in 2005, but ran successful breeding programs for years beforehand.

In recognition of its breeding programs working with vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered native species, which have been returned to the wild in partnership with release programs across the country, the Australian government listed the zoo as a charity in June this year.

The zoo is currently listed for sale – animals included – for $6 million, with the owners offering an additional three months’ support for incoming owners to smooth out the handover.

The property includes a freestanding two-bedroom residential dwelling, which is currently listed as owner-occupied in property indexes.

The zoo’s big cats

Darling Downs Zoo lion cub Caesar, who was born in August 2024 through the zoo’s breeding program.Credit: Darling Downs Zoo

The zoo houses several big cats, including white and tawny African lions, tigers and leopards, and several species of small cats, such as cheetahs, caracals, and servals.

The cats are bred at the zoo, but its website says the animals in its breeding programs are not on display for visitors.

It began its lion breeding program in 1997, and its social media pages say managing director Steve Robinson has almost five decades of experience specifically dealing with African lions.

Some of the oldest lions at the zoo are almost 15-years-old, which is approaching the natural lifespan of an African lion, but the oldest lion bred at the zoo is 24-years-old, and now resides at the Mansfield Zoo, in north-eastern Victoria.

The zoo currently boasts a handful of cubs, including a set of female cubs born in mid-May and a male cub, Caesar, born in August last year.

A person feeding a lion at the Darling Downs Zoo. Credit: Darling Downs Zoo

Up-close encounters

The zoo offers several “strictly monitored” close encounter experiences with the lions, tigers and leopards for $150 per person, which are used to help fund conservation programs.

Encounters are limited to four people per encounter, with two encounters offered per day. The zoo’s website offers guests “the thrill of a lifetime” with the opportunity to feed one of the zoo’s big cats through the fence with tongs.

Guests are offered “15 minutes of big cat time”, alongside educational talks and photo opportunities with all three big cat species.

Cubs are brought into the public-facing part of the zoo for tours at 10am each day.

A statement from the zoo on Sunday said the lion involved in the attack was not currently “cubbing” – raising young – which can make big cats more aggressive.

How many big cats are in captivity in Queensland?

We asked the Department of Primary Industries this very question.

Six hours later, the department provided a list of about 150 people and organisations with a current “exhibited animal authority” that allows them to keep animals. There was no information regarding the actual animals.

If DPI knows, they aren’t sharing.

Animal attacks at Queensland zoos

Last September, a 47-year-old Gold Coast tiger handler was mauled while she was walking the animal at Dreamworld, suffering serious lacerations and puncture wounds.

Also at Dreamworld, in 2011, a Bengal named Kato bit two Dreamworld tiger handlers – one in May and one in September.

A person feeding lions at the Darling Downs Zoo.Credit: Darling Downs Zoo

Kato was transferred to Symbio Wildlife Park in NSW the following year, where he died in 2018 aged 16.

There were also a string of tiger-related injuries at Australia Zoo, on the Sunshine Coast, last decade.

In November 2013, 120-kilogram Sumatran tiger Ranu bit 33-year-old handler Dave Style on the neck and shoulder in front of horrified onlookers during a public show at the popular attraction, made famous by the late Steve Irwin.

The following July, another tiger, Juma, bit Australia Zoo handler Mark Turner on the calf during a routine walk.

And in 2016, Che Woolcott received deep scratches to his arm and head after Ranu swatted at him with his paw.

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