A video shows the terrifying moment an ‘intoxicated’ woman climbs over a safety fence and is mauled by a lion.
The trespasser was savagely mauled by a big cat named Aristo in a ‘terrible incident’ at a zoo in Ussuriysk, Russia.
The unidentified woman survived but ‘almost lost her hand’. She is now in hospital.
A statement from the zoo said that in frozen conditions the woman who was ‘in a state of intoxication’ had ‘provoked a lion – and he injured her hand’.
An ‘intoxicated’ woman can be seen climbing over a safety fence where she is then mauled by a lion at a zoo in Chudesny, Ussuriysk, Russia
The woman jumped over the fence as she was being ejected from the zoo, said the statement
The attack happened after the woman had given the slip to her minders
The woman jumped over the fence as she was being ejected from the zoo, said the statement.
The attack happened after the woman had given the slip to her minders, say reports.
‘At some point, the woman was left alone and went to the cage with our lion Aristo,’ the statement said.
‘Judging by the video, she looked around and began to climb over the fence, one metre from which hangs a sign reading ‘Do not go beyond the fences’.
‘At that moment, our employees ran to her screaming, but the woman did not stop.
‘Everything happened in a matter of seconds.
‘Unfortunately, she was very close to the enclosure and the predator grabbed her hand.
‘Having dragged the woman away from the enclosure, the staff gave her first aid.
‘We immediately called an ambulance.
‘Now the woman is in hospital and we really hope that doctors will save her hand.’
The trespasser was savagely mauled by a big cat named Aristo at the Russian zoo in Ussuriysk
The lion almost bit off the hand of the woman who provoked him by climbing over the safety fence
The zoo admitted: ‘The situation is terrible.
‘We are very worried, above all, about human health.
‘A criminal investigation into the incident will begin.’
The zoo, in the Russian far east, urged visitors not to be drunk.
‘Please do not visit places, even seemingly absolutely safe, under the influence of alcohol,’ they urged.
‘Let our tragedy help at least some people come to their senses.’
