A zookeeper at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio was attacked by a cheetah on Thursday.
Two staff members were walking a 4-year-old cheetah named Isabelle to a behind-the-scenes spot for exercise.
Officials say Isabelle was harnessed and “calm” when another zookeeper walked nearby.
That’s when Isabelle “crouched down and lunged” at the other keeper.
Cheetah attacks a keeper at an Ohio zoo https://t.co/CmXKSi4fzU via @CNN pic.twitter.com/nZcTXtGjDQ
— BirdOwl (@BirdOwl) March 12, 2021
That keeper works with giraffes and other animals and zoo officials say the scent of these other animals likely caused Isabelle to attack.
The zoo won’t release details of any injuries, only that the keeper was taken to a local hospital.
The cheetah is now under a 30-day quarantine.
Have you ever seen a zookeeper have a close encounter or run-in with an animal?
