Madrid zookeeper suffers serious injuries in gorilla attack

A zookeeper was seriously after being attacked by a 200kg gorilla that had entered an area that should have been locked.

The incident took place on Sunday morning at the Spanish capital's Madrid Zoo Aquarium. The 46-year-old employee entered a "bounded area with a triple door" for routine feeding and cleaning at about 10.15am when the 29-year-old animal, named Malabo, attacked her, the zoo said in a statement posted on Facebook.

The woman suffered a head injury, chest trauma with multiple fractures and two broken arms, according to local media reports.

Videos posted on social media by Madrid emergency services showed paramedics carrying a stretcher, while ambulance and police cars were also at the scene.

"The reasons why the animal was able to access the area are being investigated internally," the zoo's statement said, adding a criminal investigation led by Madrid police had also been launched.

Other employees were able to "remove the animal" from the area, which is not accessible to the public, before a veterinary team anaesthetised Malabo.

The gorilla, who weighs about 200kg, was subsequently moved to his enclosure and is reportedly "calm".

The zoo wished the keeper, who has worked at the facility for 19 years, a speedy recovery.