Two team members were taking the 4-year-old cheetah named Isabelle from the cheetah facility in the Heart of Africa section to a backstage yard for their daily exercises. Another zookeeper was walking in the area at the same time, according to the Powell, Ohio zoo statement.
Isabelle’s care team says she was harnessed and was “calm and purring”, so they “invited the attendant to come over”. But when the goalkeeper approached, Isabelle “crouched and launched” towards the goalkeeper.
The keeper works around giraffes and other hooves, and the zoo believes that the smell of these other animals on the keeper made Isabelle attack.
Zoo staff members immediately contacted the authorities who provided treatment on the spot and then transported the attendant to the hospital for further evaluation.
The zoo says this is Isabelle’s first incident and “she shares a close connection with her care team”. She also participates in the cheetah race as one of the fastest races.
Isabelle is now under a 30-day quarantine, according to Delaware County General Health District rules, to ensure that she does not show signs of illness. And she’ll be back in the Heart of Africa section of the zoo once her quarantine is over.
The zoo says the incident did not occur in a public area. The zoo is not divulging details about the keeper’s injuries for privacy reasons, but said “the keeper was treated and discharged from an area hospital”.
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is home to more than 10,000 animals, representing more than 600 species from around the world.