It isn’t uncommon for people to take selfies while they’re at the zoo, but how far would you go to get that perfect shot to show off to your friends?
Sometimes people get so into taking selfies that they don’t seem to consider their surroundings, or how they might be putting themselves in danger. I’m sure you’ve seen the stories of people literally falling off of mountains because they really wanted that shot at all costs.
There is also the story of Harambe, a gorilla that was killed after a four-year-old boy fell into his enclosure. That is often the case of wild animals who encounter humans. Zookeepers have to weigh a human’s life against the animal’s own life.
The good news is that both the human and jaguar survived in this particular situation.
Woman Survives Jaguar Attack
It appears that the woman decided to cross the safety barrier on her own, in order to take a selfie. When she got too close to the jaguar, it reached out and grabbed her arm with its claws. The woman was taken to a hospital to have the resulting deep scratches treated.
The zoo made this statement on the day that the attack happened:
“We regret to inform that this evening, before closing there was an incident reported involving a guest, who crossed over the barrier to get a photo, according to eyewitnesses. The visitor sustained non-life threatening injuries to their arm from one of our female jaguars. At the request of the family, paramedics were called. At no time was the animal out of its enclosure. The incident is being fully investigated.”
They further explained, “Please understand why barriers are put in place. Sending prayers to the family tonight.”
Jaguar’s Life, Spared
Naturally, people will start to wonder if the animal involved in any human attack would be put down, and thankfully the zoo decided that the animal was not at fault.
“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 her and her family.”
