SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco Chronicle executive editor Phil Bronstein underwent foot surgery after being attacked by a Komodo dragon at the Los Angeles Zoo.
Bronstein and his wife, actress Sharon Stone, were on a private tour of the zoo Saturday when Bronstein entered the Indonesian lizard's cage. He was in stable condition Sunday at a Los Angeles area hospital, said Joe Brown, a spokesman for the paper.
A zookeeper had asked Bronstein to remove his white tennis shoes to keep the 5-foot-long reptile from mistaking them for the white rats it is fed, Bronstein told the Chronicle.
Stone, who witnessed the attack from outside the cage, said the reptile attacked Bronstein's shoeless foot, crushing his big toe while thrashing its body around.
Bronstein was able to pry open the reptile's mouth and escape through a small feeding door in the cage while the zookeeper distracted it, Stone said.
The surgery Saturday was to reattach severed tendons and to rebuild a big toe, Stone said. Bronstein is expected to remain in the hospital until Monday, said Brown.
The tour was arranged as a Father's Day surprise for Bronstein, who had always wanted to see a Komodo dragon up close.
"We're very grateful for the professional care of the people at the hospital," Stone said. "And we certainly don't blame the people at the zoo."