We have heard plenty of tragedies happening in zoos because of human mistakes. When in the zoo, it is easy to be amazed by the animals that we do not see that often. That is why taking selfies and group photos with these animals is common. However, when taking selfies, we should also be aware of our surroundings.

Accidents happen in zoos and sometimes, it is caused by the negligence of humans. But it cannot be denied that there are also zoo accidents that happen because of the zoo’s lack of security measures. Or it can also be because the animal is just too fierce and aggressive that it will attack humans.

In Litchfield Park in Arizona, a woman in her 30s was attacked by a jaguar at the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium and Safari.

According to the emergency responders, Rural Metro Fire, the woman was trying to take a selfie on her smartphone. She jumped a barrier and reached out to take a selfie with the big cat. Out of the blue, the jaguar reached out and attacked the woman’s arms. She was quickly transported to the hospital and fortunately, she did not suffer any life-threatening injuries.

Footage of the incident was taken by Adam Wilkerson. He was at the zoo with his mother and two kids when the woman was attacked by this not-so-friendly cat. Wilkerson states that he heard the scream and the next thing he saw was the woman’s hand being grasped by the jaguar’s claws. He shared on Reddit recalling the incident. He wrote, “It seems like pandemonium. Everyone yelling for help.” Wilkerson’s mother then tried to distract the jaguar by throwing a water bottle. Thankfully, the jaguar let go of the woman’s hand. He added, “We’re still in shock from it all.”

Jeff Allan also visited the zoo before. During his interview with ABC15, he said that he also had been a victim of the same jaguar. According to Allan, he reached over the enclosure’s barrier to take a video but the animal suddenly attacked him. He said that he had to get eight stitches from the incident. He hired an attorney hoping that the zoo would be required to put strong barriers between the animals and the zoo visitors.

Mickey Ollson, the director of the Wildlife World Zoo explained that this was the second time that the female jaguar took a swipe at the zoo visitors. He stated that the jaguar is about 4 or 5 years old and will not be euthanized. He said that it “was not the animal’s fault and they would never harm an animal, based on human behavior.” He added, “I think you observe the barriers – they are there for a good reason.”

In a Tweet, the Wildlife World Zoo officials stated: “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 animal’s fault when barriers are crossed. Still sending prayers to her and her family.”

What do you think about the zoo director’s decision? Do you think the jaguar should be put down for attacking zoo visitors? Was the woman wrong for jumping the barriers?