Bronstein and Stone do not blame zoo staff

He had surgery on Saturday to reattach severed tendons and rebuild a big toe and was in a stable condition, a spokesman for the paper said.

The lizard got hold of Bronstein's foot after a zookeeper asked him to remove his white tennis shoes to keep the five-foot-long reptile from mistaking them for the white rats it is fed.

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.

The editor managed to pry open the reptile's mouth and escape through a small feeding door in the cage while the zookeeper distracted it, Stone said.

Komodo Dragon

World's largest lizard Measures up to 3.1m Weighs up to 126kg Numbers estimated at 1,000 to 5,000 Found on Komodo, Rintja, Padar, and Flores islands Nicknamed 'buaya darat' or land crocodile

Bronstein is expected to leave the hospital in Los Angeles on Monday, and he told the newspaper: "I'm recovering, and I expect to be back at work this week."

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," added the US actress. "We certainly don't blame the people at the zoo."