Tapir Bites Off Zookeeper’s Arm
A tapir pulled an Oklahoma City zookeeper into its cage and bit her arm off at mid-biceps as she tried to feed the animal before the zoo opened, authorities said. The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, also suffered facial injuries and a punctured lung and was in critical condition at University Hospital. Her arm could not be reattached, a surgeon said. Oklahoma City Zoo officials are not certain why the Malayan tapir named Melody attacked the keeper. The tapir’s 2-month-old baby was also in the cage. The piglike, donkey-sized tapir is an herbivore related to the horse and rhinoceros.
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