Carol Baskin’s big cat rescue mission Tiger attack worker, arm almost torn

One of the big cats Carol BaskinThe big cat animal rescue in Tampa took a big bite out of a staff member and she looks lucky to be alive.

The Hillsborough Fire and Rescue Service said an emergency call came in at 8:30 a.m. Thursday from a man with a severe bite to the arm and a hand injury at the Baskin Tiger Reserve.

Carol and Howard tell Baskin’s DMZ … One of their longtime volunteers, a woman named Candy Kauser, grabs Kimba’s bracket, opens the door to feeding time … and Kimba’s hand starts biting.

We are told that Candy’s arm was almost torn at the shoulder. Baskins says Kimba left Candy’s hand when other employees ran to the scene. The three staff applied a tourniquet and pressure to the wounds until paramedics arrived about 15 minutes later.

Doctors continued to treat her at the scene, trying to confirm Candy and then taking her to a hospital. Despite the incredible violent attack, Candy is expected to survive.

Carol and Howard said Candy was conscious during the ambulance trip and did not want to harm Kimba. They say the tiger will be kept in isolation as a precaution for the next 30 days – but they say the animal is “functioning normally” because of the food.

You know … Baskin and his Big Cat recovery Thanks to the ‘Tiger King’ documentary about Netflix earlier this year and his feud with Joe Exotic.

According to Baskins, at the time of the attack, Kimba 2 had a guillotine-style tunnel behind the doors. The candy was open at first, but it was closed when she came in second.

They tell us, “This is our global signal. The coordinator didn’t open a door without coming to help, but Candy said she didn’t think it was time to clip it. One part of their body is a cat in a cage.”

Candy is said to have volunteered for 3 years at Big Cat Animal Rescue.