A woman in New Jersey is being sought by police after she climbed over a fence at the Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton and attempted to touch a 500-pound Bengal tiger.
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| Bridgeton Police Department |
The incident was reported by the Bridgeton Police Department on Facebook, where they shared that the woman nearly got bitten by the tiger after she climbed over a wooden fence and reached through the wire enclosure.
Video footage shared by the police and local news outlet News 12 New Jersey shows the woman trying to get the tiger's attention and sticking her hand into the enclosure. The tiger reacted by attempting to bite her hand, but the woman quickly pulled back just before the animal turned away.
The police department's Facebook post included a photo of a sign near the tiger enclosure that clearly warns visitors: "Do not climb over the fence. Climbing over any zoo fence is against city ordinance 247-C." The police reminded the public in their statement that climbing over any fence at the zoo is prohibited by city law. Violating this rule could lead to a person being banned from the zoo, according to News 12 New Jersey.
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| Bridgeton Police Department |
John Medica, the Director of Recreation and Public Affairs for the City of Bridgeton, emphasized the importance of safety at the zoo. He stated, “The high-quality care of the animals, along with the safety of our guests and visitors, is our top priority. Any visitor behavior that places the animals, staff, and members of the public in a potentially dangerous situation is unacceptable and will be addressed accordingly.”
The tiger involved in the incident is one of two Bengal tigers that were born in 2016 and donated to the Cohanzick Zoo by a zoo in North Carolina in January 2017. According to the zoo, Bengal tigers are the second-largest tiger species, after Siberian tigers.
Anyone with information about the woman is encouraged to contact Bridgeton Police at 856-451-0033 or submit anonymous tips at BPD.TIPS.