Man hospitalized after inserting hand in zoo jaguar exhibit
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A man sustained injuries after inserting his hand into a jaguar exhibit at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in Florida, USA.
Zoo employees and witnesses recalled seeing one of the big cats claw the man’s hand after he stuck it inside the pen, as per WJXT on July 28.
One witness said the man, whose identity was withheld, was egging on the jaguars before he jumped over the barrier to get closer to the animals.
He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the report. The zoo said it is the first recorded injury in 11 years since the jaguar exhibit opened.
“This is an individual that wasn’t using his head,” deputy zoo director Dan Maloney was quoted as saying. “He stuck his hand in through the mesh that separates the jaguars from the outside.
Maloney emphasized that “it would’ve been a different story” if the jaguars had been able to latch onto the man, the report said.
The zoo has since noted that the zoo is safe as long as zoogoers do not jump over the fence and engage the animals. Ian Biong /ra
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