Days after a woman lost her arm in a shocking lion attack at a Queensland zoo, frightening footage has resurfaced of a staff member snuggling up to a lion behind a fence.

Darling Downs Zoo has reopened its gates days after a woman in her 50s had her arm town off by a “playing” lion as co-owner reveals the zookeeping community is still “coming to grips” with the incident.

A zookeeper who applied a makeshift tourniquet has been credited with preventing a tragedy after the attack at Darling Downs Zoo.