She reached her arm through the cage to unclip a second door — breaking protocol, according to the sanctuary — and Kimba grabbed the volunteer’s arm and “nearly tore it off at the shoulder,” the Tampa sanctuary said.
Another volunteer heard the attack and ran over, and the tiger released its grip on the arm. Coworkers attempted to stop the bleeding and save the injured volunteer’s arm before an ambulance arrived about 20 minutes later.
Kimba will be placed in quarantine for the next 30 days, Big Cat Rescue said, but “was just acting normal due to the presence of food and opportunity.”
The sanctuary said the volunteer, still conscious after the attack, insisted she didn’t want Kimba to be punished for biting her.
The attack on a Big Cat Rescue volunteer only reinforces why the Big Cat Public Safety Act should be passed, the sanctuary said in a statement to CNN.
Big Cat Rescue is home to over 50 exotic cats like tigers, lions, bobcats and more, many of which were rescued from the pet trade.
Big Cat Rescue and its founder were profiled in the Netflix docuseries “TIger King,” though Baskin criticized her portrayal.