Jaguar Who Attacked Woman Taking Photo At The Wildlife World Zoo

On Saturday, a woman in her 30s was mauled by a jaguar at Wildlife World Zoo in Litchfield Park, Arizona, after attempting to take a selfie near the barrier of the jaguar enclosure according to KPHO, who quoted the fire department. The jaguar then reached out and struck her arm.

The woman, however, told CBS Evening News that she wasn’t attempting to take a selfie:

“I never crossed the barrier. I was not trying to get a selfie. If I was trying to get a selfie, I think my injuries would be in a different place,” the woman said. “I was never in the enclosure. I never passed the barrier, but I do admit to leaning over the barrier.”

“I was in the wrong for leaning over the barrier,” said the woman, who has been identified as only Leanne. “But I do think that maybe the zoo should look into moving their fence back.”

She continued: “Anybody can reach out. I’m not the first, and if they don’t move the fence, I’m probably not going to be the last.”

 

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“The visitor sustained non-life threatening injuries to their arm from one of our female jaguars,” the zoo said in a statement. “At the request of the family, paramedics were called onto the scene. At no time was the animal out of its enclosure… please understand why barriers are put in place. Sending prayers to the family tonight.”

In a separate post on Sunday, a representative for the zoo tweeted that “nothing will happen” to the animal following Saturday’s incident.

“She’s a wild animal and there were proper barriers in place to keep our guests safe —[it’s] not a wild animal’s fault when barriers are crossed,” the tweet said.

The woman got stitches and was discharged Sunday from an area hospital. The zoo said she reached out to the zoo owner Sunday and regretted her actions. The zoo said she admitted she was wrong.

For the duration of the investigation, the animal has been removed from the enclosure, CBS News reports.