Woman Attacked By Jaguar After Climbing Over Fence To Take Selfie
A jaguar swiped at a woman who jumped over the enclosure to get a selfie.
n an Arizona zoo, a startling incident occurred when a woman decided to climb over the enclosure for a chance to take a selfie with a jaguar.
Common sense dictates that one should keep a safe distance from wild animals, even those held in captivity.
Despite this, there are always some individuals who fail to appreciate the real dangers involved until they face them firsthand.
This was precisely the case in 2019, when a woman saw an opportunity to capture a unique photo with a jaguar at the Wildlife World Zoo, located in Phoenix.
According to several eyewitnesses, the woman bypassed safety measures by climbing over the zoo’s barriers, aiming to get a close-up selfie with the jaguar.
The situation escalated quickly, and a bystander managed to record the moments following the attack.
The video showed the woman on the ground, writhing in excruciating pain, after the female jaguar had aggressively lunged and swiped at her with its powerful claws.
The injuries she sustained were severe, including deep gashes and numerous scratches all over her arms.
Adam Wilkerson, who was present at the scene, told CNN about his experience.
He was spending the day at the zoo with his family when he heard someone desperately screaming for help.
“Without thinking, I had no idea what I was going to see, I just ran over there,” he explained.
Upon arriving, he saw the distressed woman pressed against the fence, her arm ensnared by the jaguar’s claws.
He vividly described seeing the claws embedded in her actual flesh.
Wilkerson was hesitant to pull her away from the jaguar, fearing that it might cause more damage.
The woman, who was in her thirties, was quickly transported to the hospital, where her injuries were treated promptly.
The Wildlife World Zoo issued a statement regarding the incident:
The zoo also provided assurances in their statement: “We can promise you nothing will happen to our jaguar.
“She’s a wild animal and there were proper barriers in place to keep our guests safe – not a wild animal’s fault when barriers are crossed. Still sending prayers to (the woman) and her family.”
Subsequently, the woman returned to the zoo to express her apologies for the incident and the unintended negative media attention it caused.
Kristy Morcum, a spokeswoman for the zoo, conveyed to CNN that the woman was deeply regretful: “She feels horrible about the bad publicity the zoo is getting regarding the incident.”
