A 21-year-old woman is in critical condition after being mauled by a tiger at a sanctuary near Indianapolis, reports the Indy Star. Marrisa Dub was cleaning a pen when the 18-year-old male tiger got back in through an improperly secured door in a holding area. By the time co-workers arrived, the tiger had Dub's head in its mouth, but they were able to rescue her by spraying water in the tiger's face and tossing it meat. Dub, who was able to answer questions after the attack, was airlifted to the hospital.
The attack took place at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, which has about 230 animals in its care that were formerly abused or neglected, reports Reuters. The Agriculture Department is investigating the attack, which comes just a few months after the fatal mauling a 24-year-old woman by a lion at a wildlife sanctuary in California. That victim was an intern, and Dub is believed to be an intern, too. (More tiger stories.)