An animal handler who was bitten by a tiger at a zoo on Tuesday is in a stable condition after having surgery at Royal Brisbane Hospital.
Dave Styles, 30, was bitten on the neck and shoulder during a show at Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast on Tuesday. The Department of Community Safety said he had two large puncture wounds.
In a statement late on Tuesday, zoo curator Kelsey Engle said he was on the mend.
"Dave Styles is in a stable condition and continues to improve," Mr Engle said. "The tiger ... will continue to be cared for at Australia Zoo."
Zoo director Wes Mennon said Mr Styles had nine years of experience with big cats and had raised the tiger since it arrived at the zoo as a cub.
"Our emergency response team were on the scene immediately. They acted professionally and calmly. My hat goes off to them," he said in a statement.
AAP reports the Australia Zoo keeps three Bengal and eight Sumatran tigers.
RACQ Careflight doctor Andrew Haggerty said the trainer was lucky his injuries were not more serious.
"The neck is a very complex area and contains lots of serious structures including blood vessels, and perhaps most importantly the airway ... any bleeding in the area itself could cause significant complications," he said.
