Tiger bites young worker at Virginia zoo

AP
Published: November 19, 2008

LURAY, Va. (AP)—A 16-year-old Luray Zoo employee is recovering after being bitten by a tiger.

Zoo co-owner Jennifer Westhoff says the female employee was showing the animal to a group of visitors Sunday when the 5-year-old Bengal tiger named Star bit her through its cage as she tried to pet it.

The girl lost her left pinky and suffered lacerations to her hand. She was transported to the University of Virginia Medical Center and was expected to be released on Wednesday.

Westhoff says Star grabbed the girl’s hand, then got spooked and bit her when a visitor jumped a perimeter fence to help the girl.

The zoo is the only rescue zoo in Virginia. It houses 260 animals, mostly reptiles, over four acres.

Star is the zoo’s only tiger, and Westhoff said she would remain there.

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