Tiger mauls handler at Australia Zoo

An Australian zoo keeper has suffered multiple puncture wounds to his head and arm after being attacked by a 12-year old Sumatran Tiger after it became "hot and bothered".

Local authorities on Thursday said the wounds to a 35-year-old big cat keeper at Australia Zoo on Queensland state's Sunshine Coast were quite deep but haemorrhaging was controlled before paramedics arrived just before noon.

The keeper was transferred to hospital in a stable condition and is expected to be released later this evening after his injuries were considered to be "minor".

Australia Zoo owner Terri Irwin, widow of "Crocodile Hunter" and zoo founder Steve Irwin who died from a stingray barb in 2006, posted to social media the keeper was attacked after "one of our tigers got hot and bothered".

"Keeper is ok, tiger is ok," Irwin said.

A statement issued by Australia Zoo on Thursday afternoon said while the 12-year-old tiger was walking through surrounding bushland during a daily enrichment activity, he "became overly interested in his surroundings".

"When his handler approached him to change direction, he swatted his paw resulting in a scratch on his left wrist, bicep and right side of the forehead," the statement read.

The latest attack on a big cat keeper at Australia Zoo, a popular destination for international tourists, is the second in just over two years.

An overly excited Sumatran tiger mauled a handler during a play session in front of a crowd in November 2013, resulting in multiple surgeries and a lengthy recovery. Endit