SOUTH BEND -- A local zoo keeper is recovering after a leopard attacked her at the Potawatomi Zoo Saturday. The attack happened while she was cleaning a holding area. The zoo keeper was released from the hospital on Sunday.

Zoo officials are still trying to figure how the leopard attacked the zoo keeper. The zoo says the woman has worked with the animal before.

News of the attack came as a big shock for both workers and visitors.

A relaxing day at the Potawatomi Zoo is exactly what many families like the Eschbacks had in mind. But that quickly changed.

"We heard fire trucks and by the time we got over toward the leopard area, they were taking the zoo keeper out and just saw her coming out on the stretcher," said zoo visitor Heather Eschback.

Officials say lead zoo keeper Jerry Ellis was attacked by a female Amur leopard in the exhibit's holding area.

"She was just doing her regular daily routine cleaning of the holding areas," said Potawatomi Zoo Director Terry DeRosa.

As Ellis was put inside the ambulance, news of the attack quickly spread across the zoo.

"We were on the train and we heard the guys talking about it. And then when we went around the tracks we saw someone getting loaded up," said zoo visitor Ryan Geisel.

Officials say this is the first time an attack has happened at the zoo.

"Actually it's kind of scary. But I mean we were there after it so we felt safe," said Geisel.

And safety is always on the minds of workers because they say you never know what can happen when you're working with wild animals.

The zoo is currently keeping the leopard in the holding area. That's an enclosed area where animals are held when they're not on exhibit.

The leopard exhibit will remain open. Visitors will still be able to see a male Amur leopard and the snow leopards.

The leopard involved in Saturday’s attack has not been on exhibit for some time. She's been kept in the holding area since her cub was born in December.