The rasterstats python module provides a fast and flexible tool to summarize geospatial raster datasets based on vector geometries (i.e. zonal statistics). Raster data support Any raster data source ...

from [Is it possible to open rasters as array in NumPy without using another library?](http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/76919/is-it-possible-to-open-rasters-as ...