Boy left with 'dirty great hole in his belly' after sea lion attack at Taronga Zoo

Jack Lister is recovering after undergoing abdominal surgery last night. He was bitten on his stomach and chest / Supplied Source: Supplied

THE stepmother of a schoolboy mauled by a sea lion during show at Sydney's Taronga Zoo yesterday told of her horror as she watched the animal attack the boy.

"It wasn't until I heard the scream come from him that I realised what was happening," Dalitta Wright said of the attack on 11-year-old Jack Lister.

But for a boy who had just survived a nasty attack Jack was in "great spirits' as he prepared to be operated on last night.

This was despite the fact the schoolboy had, in his father's words, a "dirty great hole in his belly".

Jack underwent abdominal surgery at Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick in order to thoroughly clean the wound and ascertain whether he had any internal injuries.

As he remained in hospital in a stable condition, Jack's step-mother Dalitta Wright recounted her horror at witnessing the attack during a popular sea lion show.

Ms Wright was among hundreds of zoo-goers who watched as Jack was repeatedly bitten on the stomach and chest by the sea lion.

In Sydney on a family holiday from Cairns, Ms Wright said Jack had just finished taking part in the sea lion "encounter" - during which an audience member gets to meet one of the animals - when he mistakenly followed the seal as it was being led off stage.

The frightened animal then turned and lunged at the boy.

"Jack had stood back to walk away and the seal just turned around and lunged at him," Ms Wright said. "I can only assume he was going for the smell of the fish. Jack pulled himself away and it then lunged for his back.

"It all happened so quickly ... I was totally focused on Jack. It was quite traumatic."

Witnesses told how frightened audience members in the first few rows screamed and scrambled backwards as the sea lion attacked Jack.

Audience member Kate Miranda said it appeared the animal got a fright and turned and bit the boy, who then fell on top of the sea lion and was bitten a second time before the keeper had a chance to regain control of the animal.

"He screamed out several times, as you would," Ms Miranda said.

The encounter part of the show has been suspended pending an investigation.

Zoo spokeswoman Danielle McGill said: "The boy unfortunately walked behind her and she got a fright and ... she had a flight or fight response and bit the boy."

Taronga said the sea lion had a long history of taking part in animal encounters and had never before displayed aggressive behaviour.

"There is no known precedent for any to have bitten a member of the public," the zoo said.