Blue Zoo employee bitten by shark, officials say

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — An employee of Blue Zoo in West Des Moines was bitten by a shark Monday afternoon.

At approximately 3:07 p.m., the West Des Moines Fire Department was called to the Blue Zoo in the 6900 block of Mills Civic Parkway for a report of a shark bite.

According to the West Des Moines Fire Department, a worker was inside a tank performing normal caregiving tasks when he was bitten by a shark, which was reportedly about 18 inches long. The worker was transported to a Des Moines hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to the fire department, the employee was professionally trained in animal care.

Blue Zoo, a non-AZA accredited zoo/aquarium, opened its West Des Moines location in May. They also have locations in Oklahoma, Washington, Louisiana and Arkansas.