A lion bit off a zookeeper’s finger when he stuck his hand into the cage in a horrific event. The incident was reported from St Elizabeth’s Jamaica Zoo.
This is the frightening moment a lion bit a zoo employee’s finger after he pushed his hand through the cage to show off in front of tourists.
At roughly 4.22 pm on May 20, the clip was shot at Jamaica Zoo, near Santa Cruz in St Elizabeth, Jamaica, as up to 15 horrified individuals looked on.
The man can be seen mocking the lion and pushing his hand into the enclosure to touch its mane in the footage.
Watch: Lion Bites Off Finger As Video Goes Viral
A fun day at the Jamaica zoo for a group of tourists turned into a terrifying encounter when they watched a lion attack a person who appeared to be a zookeeper. A video of the tragic incident, which has gone viral, has sparked anger on social media, with many netizens questioning the facility’s handling of animals.
The video reflects an African lion howling in its enclosure as the person continues to tease the wild animal by petting or tickling him through the iron mesh.
As spectators video the scene on their cellphones, the lion can be heard roaring in anger and even attempting to grip the person’s finger.
Things quickly go bad when the beast bites the man’s finger. The man screams and is seen trying with all his might to get the lion to release his hand, but the lion refuses. The lion finally lets go after a short struggle, and the guy falls to the ground.
Who Is The Zookeeper of Jamaica Zoo? Lion Bit His Finger Off
The name of Jamaica Zoo’s zookeeper, whose finger was bitten off by a lion has not been revealed yet.
The incident occurred on Friday at the Jamaica Zoo in St Elizabeth, according to jamaicaobserver.com, when a lion tore the man’s finger off. When the incident happened late in the afternoon, more than 15 persons were present.
According to one witness, the incident occurred as the zoo tour was coming to an end when the man tried to pet the lion in an apparent attempt to impress the visitors. On the other hand, the wild animal was furious.
“At the time, I believed it was a joke.” It didn’t seem serious to me. I didn’t realize how serious it was because it’s their job to put on a show,” she explained, adding that everyone panicked as he fell to the ground.
Lion Bites Off Finger Of A Zookeeper- All Over Twitter and Reddit
Many people blasted the man for being foolish and dangerous after the short video of the lion biting the zookeeper’s fingers went viral. Others called his acts “idiotic” and stated, “he deserved it.”
As the outcry became stronger, the zoo’s management issued a statement assuring everyone that a zoo is a safe place for everybody. They stressed that the man in the video was a “contractor” and that the tape did not represent the facility’s safety procedures and rules.
The zoo described the occurrence as “tragic,” adding that they are “doing everything we can to support the gentleman moving forward.”