A woman who was attacked by a jaguar at an Arizona zoo has apologized for the incident, according to a zoo spokeswoman.
The woman returned to the Wildlife World Zoo in Litchfield Park following the attack and said she “feels horrible about the bad publicity the zoo is getting regarding the incident,” spokeswoman Kristy Morcum said according to CNN affiliates KTVK and KPHO. Morcum said the woman apologized and admitted fault.
Instagram warned its community in 2017 of the need to be more considerate when taking photos with animals, asking users to be mindful of the impact their actions may have on its welfare when they point a camera in its direction.
The zoo, citing witness accounts, has said the woman crossed over a barrier to get a photo and was attacked by a female jaguar.
The attack happened Saturday evening, said Shawn Gilleland of the Rural Metro Fire Department. The woman was injured and required medical attention, according to the fire department.
“The visitor sustained non-life threatening injuries to their arm from one of our female jaguars. At the request of the family, paramedics were called. At no time was the animal out of its enclosure … please understand why barriers are put in place. Sending prayers to the family tonight,” the zoo tweeted.
The woman, who is in her 30s, was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive, CNN affiliate KPHO reported. Citing the fire department, the affiliate said the woman was trying to take a selfie near the fence of the jaguar enclosure when the animal reached out and attacked her arm.
Witness describes
