On Saturday, 10 March, a female visitor to the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park in Phoenix, Arizona crossed over a concrete barrier to take a selfie with a resident jaguar. The big cat proceeded to claw at the woman’s arm, leaving her with an open wound. The woman was transported to a nearby hospital to treat her injuries.
Please understand why barriers are put in place. Sending prayers to the family tonight. pic.twitter.com/2MPb8bXhwR
— Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (@ZooWildlife) March 10, 2019
The zoo has decided not to euthanise the animal as it says the woman was at fault for breaking the zoo’s rules. Her encroachment on the female jaguar inside its cage made the animal feel threatened and provoked its reaction.
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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 animals fault when barriers are crossed. Still sending prayers to her and her family.
— Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park (@ZooWildlife) March 10, 2019
The woman has privately met with the zoo’s officials to apologise for not sticking to the rules. She has also stated to CBS News that the entire incident was a ‘crazy accident’. The incident was not caught on camera, however footage of the aftermath was. The wounds can be clearly seen in the footage and viewer discretion is advised.
The word ‘selfie’ took the internet and social media by storm and Oxford Dictionaries declared selfie the word of the year in 2013. Travelers have gone to extreme lengths such as this woman’s to try to capture the perfect picture.
Read 10 of the world’s most dangerous selfies. There have also been an increase in incidents of people dying as a result of extreme selfie-taking. Also read Will selfie seats stop youngsters from falling from cliff edges?.
Image source: Instagram @wildlifeworldzoo
