Visitors save zookeeper from Siberian tiger attack

Visitors have saved the life of a female zookeeper from a deadly tiger attack by frightening the giant beast, at Kaliningrad Zoo in Russia on Monday. The 15-year-old male Siberian tiger Typhoon was supposed to be kept in another part of his compound when the zookeeper entered the enclosure to drop off his food, and took her by surprise, reports The Sun. Pictures reveal the woman on the ground – screaming out of fear - "with the tiger on top of her seemingly going for the kill." Stunned onlookers distracted the agitated beast by shouting and throwing objects at it – ultimately giving the woman a chance to run to safety. Some of the visitors picked up chairs from a nearby cafe and threw them at the tiger. Later, members of the zoo staff shot the tiger with a sedative and rescued the woman. The injured woman, a native of Kaliningrad, was bleeding when she was rushed to a nearby hospital, according to witnesses. A local health ministry spokesman told The Sun that the woman is in intensive care under the care of doctors , describing her condition as stable but critical. She is reported as conscious and out of danger. The Siberian tiger is the largest species of cat, with a 15 year life expectancy in the wild. Typhoon was born on July 1, 2001 in Chelyabinsk Zoo. He was later moved to Kaliningrad Zoo.