Shocking footage posted to social media shows a woman climbing into a tiger enclosure at a zoo and almost having her hand bitten off.
A woman visiting Cohanzick Zoo in New Jersey decided to go against the zoo’s rules and climb over a fence into a Bengal tiger pen.
The video, posted to Facebook by the Bridgeton Police Department, shows how the woman gained access to the enclosure of two tiger brothers, Rishi and Mahesha.
Police originally shared the video on social media in hopes that the public would be able to give information about who she may be.
The incident occurred on August 18, and the woman has now been identified as 24-year-old Zyair J. Dennis of Millville.
She decided to climb over a fence that acts as a barrier around the cage of the enclosure.
The wooden fence is designed to keep zoo visitors safe while still being able to view the tigers in their cages – but for Dennis that was not enough.
An estimated 90 people a year lose their lives to a tiger attack, as per Kenya Wildlife Tours, however, humans are not part of tigers’ diets and they will only attack if they feel under threat.
There are an estimated 5,000 tigers in captivity in the U.S. and only 4,500 wild tigers left in the world due largely to persistent poaching, as reported by the Environmental Investigation Agency.
Zoos have safety precautions to keep visitors and the animals safe.
Sadly two similar attacks occurred at the San Francisco Zoo, involving a Siberian tiger named Tatiana.
In the first attack, the large cat bit a zookeeper during a feeding show, as reported by The Guardian.
The worker was bitten on the arm through the enclosure grill, and the zoo was fined $18,000 in 2006.
A year later the same tiger was able to escape its open-air enclosure, killing a teenage boy and attacking two others on Christmas day after the zoo had closed.
It is reported that the teenagers had been drinking and smoking, with the zoo director saying that the tiger had likely been provoked.
Tatiana’s enclosure was 12.5 feet high below the height recommended by the main accrediting agency for the nation’s zoos.
The tiger was shot during the attack by responding officers.
In this more recent attack, police believe that Dennis climbed over the safety fences at Cohanzick Zoo hoping to touch the tiger.
In the video that the police department posted, the 24-year-old can be seen putting her hand into the tiger’s cage.
The tiger is pacing back and forth in its enclosure, visibly agitated by the woman.
The Bengal tiger, which can grow up to 3.2 meters, puts its huge paws up to the cage where the woman is, close to seriously injuring her.
At this point, the woman decides to retreat over the safety fence.
In the Police’s Facebook statement, they said the woman was purposely enticing the tiger and almost got ‘bit by putting her hand through the wire enclosure.’
John Medica, Director of Recreation and Public Affairs for the City of Bridgeton, told CBS News: “I was horrified honestly,”
“It was just very careless, a very careless action and I hope the individual recognizes how lucky they were to still have all of their limbs.”
Zyair J. Dennis has now been arrested and charged with trespassing, per The Independent.