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Frantic zoo staff hurled meat towards the tiger which mauled a zookeeper to death in a horrific Bank Holiday Monday attack.

Witnesses claimed colleagues desperately tried to distract the big cat as it attacked a woman at Hamerton Zoo Park near Sawtry, Cambridgeshire.

They also told how blood-curdling screams were heard at the zoo which was evacuated amid scenes of chaos.

Pete Davies, 55, who was there with his partner and son, said: “We were at the tiger enclosure and there was a guy who was ahead of us with a camera taking photos of animals.

(Image: Sky News)

“He was in the next closure, he came running past us really quickly. Then he came back with a few zoo keepers to the viewing area of where the tiger was, and then we heard a girl screaming and another one said run to us so we found a small room and stayed there until it was safe to leave.

“The zoo keepers had their heads in their hands, and didn’t know what to do, throwing meat over the enclosure to entice the tiger away. They shouted stuff.

“It went on for too long. Then we were ushered out and left.

(Image: Sky News)

“We didn’t see anything because it happened behind a mound of grass. It seems like a tiger has turned on a zoo keeper.”

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman said: "Officers attended a serious incident at Hamerton Zoo Park, Steeple Girding, at around 11.15am today.

"A tiger had entered an enclosure with a keeper. Sadly the female zoo keeper died at the scene.

"At no time did the animal escape from the enclosure. The incident is not believed to be suspicious."

(Image: Heidi Maury)

It is not known whether the tiger was killed.

Staff said they were left "distressed" after the attack and confirmed the zoo would remain shut on Tuesday.

A statement read: "This appears to have been a freak accident.

(Image: SWNS)

"A full investigation is currently underway and we hope that more details can be announced as soon as we are able.

"At no point during the incident did any animals escape their enclosures, and at no point was public safety affected in any way.

(Image: Geoff Robinson/Bav Media)

"All our thoughts and sympathies are with our colleagues, friends and families at this dreadful time."

Hamerton Zoo visitors spoke of "absolute chaos" as the site was evacuated following reports of a tiger attack amid blood-curdling screams.

Charlie Hawthorn, 18, from Northampton, told Mirror Online of chaotic scenes as zookeepers evacuated visitors from the park.

He said: "When we were going into the zoo there were zookeepers came rushing over telling us there'd been a serious incident and everyone needed to get out.

(Image: Bav Media)

"Then they actually let us back in for around 15 or 20 minutes before the zookeepers started running around in a bit more of a panic and saying everyone had to get out.

"There was one woman saying a teenage boy was missing and it was just absolute chaos. There were three ambulances, an air ambulance helicopter, police, it looked like a big incident."

(Image: Bav Media)

(Image: SWNS)

(Image: Spencer Wright/Flickr)

Eyewitness Victoria Northover Holmes added: “…some of the keepers came running down the hill towards the next tiger enclosure.

“We didn’t know what was happening but they looked worried. I carried on walking down the hill towards the next enclosure when someone shouted run.

“We could see staff members on the other side of the fence with pieces of meat trying to get whatever’s attention. “It was heartbreaking seeing them trying to help.”