A three-year-old boy was injured this afternoon after he was attacked by a tiger today at the Montekristo Animal Farm in Hal-Farrug.

The police said they were informed about the accident at around 4.30pm. Officers from the Qormi station went on site and found that the boy had been injured by a tiger, which at the time was being held on a leash. According to reports the tiger was being held on a leash close to a restaurant and lashed out at the boy as he walked by.

Jean Paul Sammut, Polidano Bros. lawyer, denied reports that the child's head reportedly ended up in the tiger's mouth, but rather that the tiger clawed the child's face. Contacted by this newsroom, he said the tiger was sick and was being taken for a walk by two handlers.

The boy was in the company of a 56-year-old from Zabbar, who tried to get the animal off the child.

The boy was taken to Mater Dei where doctors certified him to be suffering from grevious but non-life threatening injuries. 

A statement later issued by Polidano Bros read: "Further to today's incident the management would like to express their solidarity with the family. Following to the various versions reported in the media, the management would like to clarify that from preliminary investigation it transpired that the tiger was being walked by two handlers, and was lying on the floor at the time of incident. At one point the boy moved towards the tiger, and the tiger wrapped her paws around the boy consequently hitting the boy with its nail in the face. At no point did the tiger bite the boy or that anything of the sort took place".

They said they will continue cooperating with the police.