MELBOURNE, Australia -- A woman has sustained severe injuries to an arm when she was attacked by a lion at an Australian zoo. The Darling Downs Zoo in Queensland state said the 50-year-old woman was watching animal keepers working in the zoo’s carnivore precinct before opening hours Sunday morning when she was attacked.

A woman in her 50s is believed to have lost an arm when a lion mauled her at an Australian zoo Sunday morning, according to authorities and reports. The terrifying incident unfolded around 8:20 a.m. at the Darling Downs Zoo near Towoomba in Queensland as the woman — a long-time visitor — watched zookeepers caring for the beast,

The woman was reportedly watching keepers at the Darling Downs zoo in Queensland, Australia when the incident happened on Sunday. The zoo is home to lions, tigers and leopards.