Arizona Zoo Says Jaguar That Attacked Woman Won’t Be Put Down

An Arizona zoo has confirmed that their animal won’t be put down after a jaguar there attacked a woman who crossed a barrier to take a photo.

“Lady got what she deserved. If you put the jaguar down, I'll NEVER go there again,” wrote a woman on Twitter. The Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park in Arizona responded to her.

“She won’t be put down,” the zoo wrote back.

“We can promise you nothing will happen to our jaguar,” the zoo told CNN. “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.”

Shawn Gilleland, a spokesman for the Rural Metro Fire Department, told AzCentral that the woman tried to take a selfie near the jaguar enclosure when one of the big cats scratched her arm.

She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries

Witnesses told officials that they saw her cross the barrier for the photo, according to the report.

“The visitor sustained non life threatening injuries to their hand 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,” said the zoo on Twitter, “please understand why barriers are put in place. Sending prayers to the family tonight.”

On social media, most people blamed the woman for endangering herself and hoped the jaguar wouldn’t be euthanized.

Adam Wilkerson, a witness, said he heard someone come running and yelling for help.

“Without thinking, I had no idea what I was going to see, I just ran over there,” he told CNN. “I saw the other girl up against the fence with her arm caught in the jaguar’s claws.”

He said he was standing behind the woman but didn’t want to pull her away.

“I could see the claws in her actual flesh,” he said.

Wilkerson then said his mother tried to distract the jaguar by shoving a water bottle through the cage.

“When my mom put the water bottle through the gate, the jaguar let go of the girl. And we pulled the girl back and she collapsed,” he said.

Wilkerson, who said he did’t know how the woman got so close, said there were no zoo employees nearby when the attack happened.

Jaguar Escapes Cage, Goes on Rampage

The incident recalls the case of a jaguar that escaped its enclosure at a zoo in Louisiana and went on a rampage.

Valerio, a 3-year-old jaguar, managed to get out of its cage at Louisiana’s Audubon Zoo and kill nine animals.

The big cat chewed through the stainless-steel netting, which formed the roof of its enclosure, squeezed through the small hole, and got free to roam the zoo grounds.

Once free, Valerio followed jaguar instinct, killing as much food as possible while he had the chance.

The big cat’s escape was noticed at 7:20 a.m. on Saturday when a zoo staff member heard sounds of animals in distress. Valerio was busy in the fox pen at that time, having already attacked an alpaca and an emu.