From ninemsn.com.au …
A Spanish marine park’s killer whale has lived up to its name with a frightening attack — smashing a female trainer with its snout, biting her arm and dragging her underwater repeatedly.
The trainer, Claudia Vollhardt of Germany, remains in hospital with a broken arm and a badly bruised chest.
The 1.36 tonne male orca, named Tekoa, unexpectedly turned on Ms Vollhardt while rehearsing a trick at Loro Parque, a zoo in the Canary Islands.
But suddenly the giant animal slammed her in the chest with its snout and took her arm in between its jaws, park officials said.
The whale then repeatedly dragged her underwater in the 12m deep tank before finally letting her go.
Despite the ferocity of the whale’s actions, Zoo spokeswoman Patricia Delponti said the animal meant the trainer no harm.
“The whale did not bite her. If it had, she would have lost her arm,”
