A two year old girl has been seriously injured after being mauled by an animal at Dublin Zoo.
Her mother was also hurt in the incident as she tried to fight off the female tapir during a supervised encounter at the enclosure yesterday.
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The little girl was rushed to Temple Street Children’s Hospital and treated for stomach and arm injuries while her mother is being cared for at The Mater.
While normally docile – tapir which are a large browsing animal similar in shape to a pig with a short snout – can become violent in captivity.
Its reported the female – who had recently given birth to a calf panicked when the young girl gave a shriek of delight.
