Mauled zoo staffer keen to get back to work

The zoo worker mauled by a white tiger at Northland's Zion Wildlife Gardens says he has no qualms about returning to work.

The man, Demetri Price, was hospitalised yesterday after being bitten on the knee while trying to move the tiger between two enclosures.

The Department of Labour is investigating the incident.

But Mr Price tonight said he had no "worry at all" about the zoo's safety, or returning to work.

"The danger involved in this kind of work...is all relative. The way we go about this kind of work, generally you are pretty damn safe," he said on TV3's Campbell Live programme.

"I believe a policeman pulling people over on the highway and jumping out to issue them a fine is in a far greater position of risk than I am."

Mr Price said his injuries included a couple of puncture wounds, a tear on one side of his knee and an injury under his knee cap, from a tooth sliding under it.

However he said there was no "malicious intent" on the part of the tiger, who lashed out after getting a fright.

Zion earlier revealed in a statement Mr Price was one of two experienced big cat handlers who were moving the animals, which they did daily.

Three additional staff were on standby if needed.

"The male tiger was moved into a raceway, which had been set up to lead it to the new enclosure and was proceeding well but following an altercation between the tiger and an adjacent pride of lions, the tiger paced back along the raceway," the statement said.

"The tiger was walking along the raceway (when) he bumped his rear end into the fence, got a fright where Demetri Price was standing, suddenly turned and bit him in the knee..."

Mr Price fell backwards and was bitten three more times on the knee.

Mr Price then grabbed the tiger on the nose while holding its lip over the teeth, a standard practice - dubbed a "toothlock" - to avoid biting.

Experienced handler Dalu Mncube (crct) then approached the tiger and used his hands to open its jaws.

"The animal backed away, Dalu picked up the fire extinguisher and gave the cat two quick squirts. The cat then immediately entered the desired enclosure."

Mr Price was taken to hospital by staff soon afterwards where the wound was flushed and he received minor surgery.

The statement said neither of the tigers was used as part of the park's daily programme of cat interactive tours.

It said staff and the cats were today back to normal business, "with visitors still queuing up to enjoy the unique close encounters that have been so popular".

The park is the subject of a court battle between TV personality "Lionman" Craig Busch and his mother Patricia, with Mr Busch currently shut out of its operation.

The attack was the second in the past year at the park, which is home to more than 40 lions and tigers.

Last April the park was criticised after it failed to tell the Labour Department about an attack involving a guide whose hands were bitten by a white lion.

A Scottish teenager working at the park, Lisa Baxter, was left scarred for life, when Timba, an African white lion, sunk his teeth into both her hands after she put her hands through a hole in the fence designed for television cameras to stroke a cub.

- NZPA