Woman nearly mauled by Bengal tiger after hopping fence at American zoo

According to officials from the Cohanzick Zoo in New Jersey, a woman was caught on video antagonizing a tiger and putting herself in a dangerous situation. The incident occurred at the zoo in Bridgeton, Cumberland County, and the police are now seeking to identify the woman seen in the footage and photos from the incident. The police department took to Facebook to share the images with the public yesterday.

John Medica, the Director of Recreation and Public Affairs for the City of Bridgeton, expressed his shock and horror at the woman's actions. The zoo has a tall wire fence that separates the tigers from visitors, with a shorter wooden fence a few meters away along the walking paths. In the video, the woman can be seen past the wooden fence, reaching her hand through one of the holes in the wire enclosure. As she walks away, a tiger can be seen pacing back and forth and putting its paws on the wire.

The Bridgeton police reminded the public that it is against city ordinance to climb over any fence at the zoo. Medica added that the woman's actions were incredibly careless and that she was lucky to have escaped without any harm. The woman also attempted to do the same thing at the nearby bear exhibit, but was stopped by other visitors before she could climb over the safety fence.

Avery Menear, an animal keeper at the zoo, expressed her frustration over the incident and how it reflects badly on the animals. She shared that the tigers, named Mahesha and Rishi, have been living at the zoo since 2016. Menear also emphasized the importance of respecting the animals' space, even though the zoo allows visitors to get closer than any other zoo.

When asked if there will be any changes to the zoo's operations after this incident, zoo officials stated that they are still evaluating the situation and do not want to make any rash decisions. Meanwhile, with visitors watching on Wednesday afternoon, Menear gave Mahesha a treat as a reminder that these animals, though cute, are still wild and should be treated with respect. The Bridgeton police chief shared that they are following up on several tips as they continue to investigate the incident.

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