KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The Topeka zoo says a tiger attacked a zookeeper after protocols for handling potentially dangerous animals were not followed.
The zoo released a lengthy report Thursday detailing its internal review of the April 20 attack, when zookeeper Kristyn Hayden-Ortega was seriously injured by a 7-year-old Sumatran tiger named Sanjiv.
The report said “multiple” protocols and procedures concerning spaces occupied by tigers had prevented any similar attack at the zoo for decades.
The report says protocol was not followed when the keeper entered the tiger’s outdoor habitat without ensuring that the animal was locked inside.
Other zoo employees lured the animal away with meat so emergency responders could treat Hayden-Ortega. The city said Thursday it could not release any information on her current condition.
