A zoo keeper has died in a ‘freak accident’ involving a tiger, it has been confirmed. A woman who worked at Hamerton Zoo in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire was killed in a ‘serious incident’ this morning, according to police and park officials, after a tiger ‘entered’ an enclosure with the female member of staff.
The zoo gave no further details on how the worker died, while staff were said to be ‘too distressed’ to talk about the death. Visitor Pete Davis told how he believes a ‘young’ female keeper may have been injured after running into the tiger enclosure to help a colleague.
He described hearing a girl’s ‘blood-curdling scream’ moments after she ran into the keep after hearing shouting from another keeper. Victoria Northover Holmes, who was at the tiger enclosure when the drama unfolded, said staff were throwing meat at the tiger to get it away from a keeper.
Claims had earlier circulated on social media that the animal was on the loose at the zoo in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, but this was rubbished by police and park officials.
The zoo had been evacuated of visitors this morning with police and ambulance personnel were pictured on the scene throughout all day.
