Siberian tiger kills Swiss zookeeper Michael Shields Published: 05/07/2020Updated: 5 July 2020 5:24 AM Swiss police say a Siberian tiger has attacked and killed a zookeeper at Zurich's zoo. A SIBERIAN tiger "grabbed a female keeper by the neck" and killed her in front of shocked visitors, including a child, say eyewitnesses. WITHIN NIGERIA learnt that the tiger identified as Irina attacked the 55-year-old zookeeper inside the big cat enclosure … Visitors and colleagues who witnessed the attack were receiving psychological counseling, he said. A park visitor reported the Zurich Zoo staff rushed to the 55-year-old's aid and tried to resuscitate her but "sadly all help came too late,” police spokeswoman Judith Hoedl said. Witnesses raised the alarm after the cat turned on the woman; staff managed to distract the animal away from her, out of her enclosure and into a holding pen, before attempting to render first aid — but it was in vain. “A person in their facility is an intruder into their territory. The woman died at the scene,' Zurich police spokeswoman Judith Hoedl said. "Despite immediate resuscitation measures, the 55-year-old woman was unfortunately too late to help and died on the spot. The keeper had to undergo surgery for the resulting injury, and the crocodile was shot. Siberian tiger fatally mauls handler at Zurich zoo A Swiss zookeeper was brutally mauled to death by a Siberian tiger Saturday afternoon. The Siberian tiger was born in 2015 at a zoo in the Danish city of Odense and transferred to Zurich a year ago, according to Zoo Zurich director Severin Dressen. In a statement, a zoo spokesperson said "the zoo's internal emergency centre received a message that an animal keeper in the tiger facility had been attacked by a Siberian tiger. Siberian tiger kills zookeeper in front of visitors A 55-year-old keeper at Zurich's zoo was killed by one of the park's Siberian tigers, officials in the Swiss city said. Rescue crews were unable to save the woman, who died on the spot. Trump ally Chris Christie slams president's 'ABSURD' election challenge, Flynn says feds SHOULD have probed Swalwell over 'spy' rather than him & Trump, Shock moment gunman 'with gas cans' is shot dead by cops during cathedral concert, Child charged with murder after parents & two sons, 12 & 3, found dead, South Park creators mock Trump’s election loss with deepfake video, © 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, Another Siberian tiger, Sayan, in the animals' enclosure, Zurich Zoo after the zookeeper's death, Zurich Zoo announced the woman's death on Twitter, Police were called to the death - which occurred in front of visitors, The area was closed off afterwards to enable a forensics examination to be carried out, Zurich Zoo remained closed to visitors today after the fatal mauling, Zoo director Severin Dressen with Judith Hoedl, Zurich police media spokeswoman, talks to reporters after the tragedy. In 2017 zookeeper Keeper Rosa King was mauled to death by an eight-year-old tiger while she cleaned his enclosure at Hamerton Zoo in Cambridgeshire. The zoo said an investigation has been launched into the 'tragic incident', including why the keeper was in the enclosure at the same time as the tiger. Video Photos News Onlookers called for help after the big cat began attacking the keeper around 1 p.m. local time, the Zurich zoo said in a statement. "They succeeded in luring Irina away from the animal keeper, out of the facility and into the stable. “This is a young animal that so far has behaved entirely naturally as a tiger does," Dressen added. "The tiger had grabbed the woman by the neck," he says. The investigation will reportedly include the Zurich public prosecutor's office, the Zurich city police, the Zurich Forensic Institute and the Institute for Forensic Medicine. The zoo in Switzerland’s biggest city says a 55-year-old keeper was killed on Saturday by one of the park’s Siberian tigers. The other keepers were able to lure the Siberian tiger - an Amur tigress named Irina - away from their colleague and out of the enclosure. ", Zoo director Severin Dressen later told reporters: “Our full sympathy is with the relatives of the victim.". 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