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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Zoo Miami handler, bitten by a 300-pound tiger, was rushed to the hospital Tuesday afternoon.

According to Ron Magill with Zoo Miami, the 20-year-old woman, a keeper at the zoo, was feeding the tiger with her hands.

“If you are not on your toes, you are not following protocol, these things happen. It is never the animals fault,” he said.

Magill explained the zoo keeper shoved meat between the bars of the tiger compound located behind the tiger display area. She was not following policy.

“When that happened, the tiger bit the meat and also bit the tip of her finger. It was her index finger on her left hand. The tiger bit and let go,” he said.

Zoo-goers wondered what all the attention was about, but seemed to take the incident in stride.

“It is unfortunate. I wouldn’t like get my finger bit by a tiger. It really sucks,” said Jorden.

“They are going to do what they are gonna do,” Ron Lyon said. “Tigers will be tigers.”

Berani, the 8 ½-year-old Sumatran tiger that nipped the handler, is known to be laid back but can be aggressive towards handlers.

Rescue crews took her to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Magill says hand feeding a tiger is against protocol.

“I don’t want to say she is going to get in trouble. I think this incident is reminder enough to her of something she did not do properly,” Magill said.