Someone took their Tiger King obsession a bit too far at a New Jersey zoo.
A woman was caught on camera illegally climbing into a tiger exhibit and coming face-to-face with one of the enclosure’s two 500-pound Bengal tigers. Video shows the moment after the woman climbed the outer wooden fence and landed inside the space.
It happened at the Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton, NJ. She can be seen putting her hand through a not-so-sturdy-looking wired fence that was the only thing standing between her and the big cat.
Local news station 6 ABC spoke with the zoo’s animal keeper, Avery Menear, who explained that the tiger was showing “predatory behaviors” in the video. This includes the movement in his tail and how his paw went up following her decision to turn around. From the sounds of it, if that wired fence wasn’t there, this could have taken a much darker turn.
The Bridgeton Police Department is attempting to identify and locate the woman, since climbing zoo fences is prohibited by local law. What they can’t charge her with is stupidity, unfortunately.
There also was a second tiger in the vicinity, but that one apparently didn’t engage with the violator.
A quick scan of the zoo’s website shows the park rules, with the fifth rule stating, “NO climbing over fencing.” It’s amazing that that even has to be a thing because, you know, common sense, but maybe they’ll need to put that in 50-point bold font as Rule No. 1 moving forward.
Bengal tigers are, obviously, very dangerous animals. In 2018, VICE reported on the successful conservation efforts in Nepal that had doubled the tiger population there; in 2022, the Guardian followed up that, with that increase came a rise in tiger attacks, including 62 deaths in a three-year span.
In other words, do NOT do this.
The post A New Jersey Woman Climbed Over the Zoo Fence to Taunt a Tiger appeared first on VICE.
The post A New Jersey Woman Climbed Over the Zoo Fence to Taunt a Tiger appeared first on VICE.
