Woman scratched by jaguar at Arizona zoo says fence needs to be moved back
A woman who was clawed by a jaguar at the Wildland World Zoo near Phoenix on Saturday admits that she was "in the wrong for leaning over the barrier," but thinks the zoo needs to "look into moving their fence back."
There is a three-foot barrier between the fence and the walkway, which the zoo says meets federal standards. In an interview with CBS News, Leanne — who asked that her last name not be used — said she saw the jaguar by the fence, and decided to "get some good pictures." She claims she did not climb over the barrier, and denies reports she was trying to take a selfie. "I never expected this," Leanne said. "I feel like we're all human, we make mistakes, and I learned my lesson."
Video of the incident went viral, showing Leanne screaming on the ground, a laceration on her arm. Zoo officials said that last summer, another visitor went right up to the fence, and was scratched by the jaguar. "When people do not respect the barriers, there's always a chance that there might be a problem," the zoo's director, Mickey Olson, told CBS News. Catherine Garcia
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Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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