Tiger attacks keeper at 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo

A tiger has attacked a worker at Australia Zoo, which is owned by the family of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin.

Zookeeper Che was taken to hospital with claw wounds to his forehead and left arm after being mauled by 12-year-old male Sumatran tiger Ranu on Thursday.

The keeper, aged 35, was later discharged and said in a social media post: "These things happen working with tigers."

Steve Irwin's widow Terri, who runs the zoo, said both the keeper and tiger were fine.

Australia Zoo, based north of Brisbane, was founded by TV star and conservationist Steve Irwin, who was killed by a stingray in 2006.

The zoo said that when the handler approached the tiger to get him to change direction, "he swatted his paw, resulting in a scratch on his left wrist, bicep and right side of the forehead."

In a video posted on Terri's Twitter page, keeper Che put the incident down to the hot weather, saying Ranu was "a bit frustrated" and "let off a bit of steam".

"I'm all good," he said. "I've got a few claw marks. These things happen working with tigers."

Terri also tweeted: "One of our tigers got hot & bothered and scratched a keeper. Keeper is ok, tiger is ok."

Government safety inspectors visited the zoo on Thursday following the incident.