Australia Zoo tiger handler recovering after mauling

A tiger handler has had surgery and is in a stable condition in hospital after being mauled at Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast.

The Zoo says the Sumatran tiger became over-excited during a play session in an attack witnessed by a large crowd of spectators.

The tiger bit into the neck and shoulder of 30-year-old handler Dave Styles, whose colleagues dragged him to safety.

He was airlifted to the Royal Brisbane Hospital where he had surgery overnight and is now in a stable condition.

Australia Zoo and workplace health and safety are investigating the attack.

They say tiger will be allowed to stay at the zoo.

Styles had raised the tiger since it was a cub.

Australia Zoo spokesperson Wesley Mannion says the Sumatran tiger was not being malicious, telling the ABC "it wasn't an act of aggression.

"It wasn't the tiger attacking someone, it's just a normal, daily part of the routine of the tigers and unfortunately we had a mishap."

Al Mucci from the Zoo Association of Queensland says the handler would have known of the danger, adding "when you're working with any large animals in a contact way, incidents do occur from time to time."

Image included for illustrative purposes only.