A tiger bit an animal handler’s arm in an attack at an amusement park in Australia.

Queensland Ambulance Service director Justin Payne said emergency services were called to Dreamworld in Coomera just before 9am (midnight in the UK).

The woman, 47 who is an experienced animal handler, “had been bitten by one of the tigers” an hour before the park opened on Monday morning, he added.

She was taken by ambulance to the Gold Coast University Hospital in a stable condition.

“The patient obviously had received some serious lacerations and puncture wounds from the animal. She was quite pale and feeling unwell, but generally well,” Mr Payne said.

In a statement to ABC News, Dreamworld said: “Dreamworld’s immediate focus is on the support of the team member.

“This was an isolated and rare incident, and we will conduct a thorough review accordingly.”

Dunfermline peacocks honoured with Freedom of the City

Namibia: 83 elephants among hundreds of wild animals set to be culled – with meat given to people hit by drought

Warning to pet owners after cats die in suspected poisonings

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Kelley Edwards, lead official for the United Workers Union, also told the outlet: “It’s a stark reminder of the inherent risks faced by workers in a high stakes environment.

“We expect Dreamworld to have high standards across the workplace, to make sure that [staff] are adequately looked after when doing their day-to-day role with a dangerous animal.”

The park’s website says it houses nine Sumatran and Bengal tigers at its Tiger Island exhibit.

Read more from Sky News:
‘One in 30 million’ lobster rescued
Russian ‘spy’ whale found dead in Norway

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

It’s understood the park also saw a similar incident in May 2011 when a Bengal tiger bit a handler, according to local reports at the time.

In September of the same year, another handler was left with a “laceration to the lower right calf” by the same big cat.

Watch Sky News’ The World with Yalda Hakim from Monday night at 9pm.

Related posts:

Sydney to allow quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated Australians ‘There is no panic’: Ukrainian actors vow to ‘carry on’ as Russia’s troops sit on the border Tributes for swimmer killed in Sydney shark attack who ‘made the earth better’ Nestle pulls KitKat and Nesquik out of Russia after backlash – but continues selling essential foods Duke of Cambridge expresses ‘profound sorrow’ for slave trade but stops short of full apology Record high coral on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in some areas Dingo euthanised after jogger mauled on beach ‘It’s a miracle I survived anarchy and chaos’ of Hamas attack, British-Israeli soldier says ANC set for ‘complicated’ coalition talks after losing parliamentary majority in South Africa More than 50 arrests at Wembley after pitch invasion and ‘attempts to breach security’ at Champions League final Russia weighs up its biggest tax shake-up in almost 25 years to finance Ukraine war Warning to holidaymakers as Greece’s PM says more wildfires on the way this summer