In a shocking incident, a woman from the United States climbed the fence into the Bengal tiger enclosure at the Cohanzick Zoo in New Jersey on Sunday around 2 pm. According to the Bridgeton Police Department, she tried to touch the tiger, "almost getting bit" in the process. The woman, dressed in a dark top and white shorts, was sticking her fingers through the inner fencing as the tiger paced only inches ahead of her.
In a video going viral on social media, the woman was seen trying to entice the wild animal and putting her hand through the enclosure. She was nearly attacked by the 500-pound tiger as it tried to bite her hand. She then swiftly moved back before the wild cat turned away.
The police department also posted the video, which has now been deleted, as per a report in People. Their Facebook post included a photo of a notice at the zoo near the enclosure that said, "Do not climb over the fence. Climbing over any zoo fence is against city ordinance 247-C."
"Reminder to the public when visiting the zoo that it is against City Ordinance to climb over any fence," the police department added. According to the report, the ordinance states that a person can be banned or restricted from visiting the zoo.
John Medica, Director of Recreation and Public Affairs for the City of Bridgeton, told the outlet in a statement, "The high quality care of the animals, along with the safety of our guests and visitors, is our top priority. Any visitor behaviour that places the animals, staff and members of the public in a potentially dangerous situation is unacceptable and will be addressed accordingly."
According to the zoo's website, they have two Bengal tigers, Rishi and Mahesha, brothers who came to the zoo as cubs in 2016. "The brothers were first described as, "Gorgeous and ornery," by Bonnie Facemyer, who was the president of the Cohanzick Zoological Society at the time the cubs arrived. Weighing only around 20 pounds when they arrived, the tigers now weigh nearly 500 pounds each," it said on the website.
Notably, Bengal tigers, also known as Indian tigers, are an endangered species. As of October 2022, it was believed that only about 3,500 of these remained in the wild. The tiger species is regarded as the second largest, after only the Siberian tiger.
Featured Video Of The Day
Heavy Rain Leads To Waterlogging In Nashik, Maharashtra
IIFA 2024: Yash Raj Films' Special Post For Tiger 3 And Pathaan Nominations 3-Year-Old Boy Fights For Life After Accidentally Shooting Himself In US US Woman Falls From Golf Cart, Sues Hard Rock Hotel For Rs 4 Crore Big Changes In Kolkata Hospital As Doctors Protest Rape-Murder Horror "India's Policy Was To Maintain Distance. Now...": PM In Poland On CCTV, Andhra Boy Electrocuted While Returning From School On Cycle "This Is For Tamil Nadu's Victory": Actor Vijay Unveils Party's Flag UGC Offers Free Entry To Students And Faculty At Amrit Udyan "Venomous Men Masking Themselves": Ex MP Mimi Chakraborty Gets Rape Threat Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.