By Sam McKeith 

A woman who was mauled by an African lion in a “horrific” attack at a zoo remains stable in hospital after losing her arm in the incident.

The woman, in her 50s, was airlifted to Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital on Sunday after being bitten on the arm by the lion at Darling Downs Zoo in Pilton, a small town in Queensland’s Toowoomba region.

The victim lost her arm in the attack that had shocked staff at the zoo and the local community, said David Littleproud, MP for Maranoa, the federal electorate where the zoo is located.

“This is a horrific incident. It is a tragedy,” the Nationals leader said in a statement on Monday.

A Queensland Health spokesperson told AAP on Monday the victim remained in hospital in a stable condition.

The zoo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It said on Sunday the woman was watching animal keepers work in the “carnivore precinct” when the attack occurred.

The victim was not an employee but a “much loved member of our family”, it said in a Facebook post.

“This is something that she has done many, many times over the past 20 years. She is well versed in safety protocols around potentially dangerous animals,” it said.

“Inexplicably, at this stage, one animal grabbed her by one arm and caused severe damage to it.”

The zoo, expected to reopen on Tuesday, said the lion would not be put down or punished for the attack.

Queensland Police attended the scene on Sunday but said state workplace health and safety authorities were leading investigations.

The family owned zoo, the major venue of its kind in regional Queensland, houses tawny lions and white lions, both species native to South Africa.