Dragon Zookeeper Bitten While Cleaning Cage

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha zoo worker was bitten by a Komodo dragon on Sunday and treated at a local hospital.

The female worker was taken from the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to a hospital after the 12:30 p.m. incident. Later in the afternoon, the zoo said in a statement the worker had been released and should recover fully. The zoo said earlier media reports that the worker was critically injured were incorrect.

Assistant general curator Stephanie Huettner said the worker needed a couple stiches to close up the wound on her hand.

The animal involved was a juvenile Komodo dragon. The zoo said the animal is about 4-feet-long and weighs about 10 pounds.

The zoo currently has one adult Komodo dragon and two juveniles on display.

Adult Komodo dragons can weigh more than 300 pounds and reach 10 feet in length. The carnivorous lizards can also run up to 11 mph in short bursts, according to the National Geographic website.

The Omaha zoo is a well-regarded facility. Earlier this year, travel website TripAdvisor ranked the zoo first in the world with some 1.7 million visitors a year.