Police Seek Zoo Trespasser Who Was Nearly Mauled by 500-Pound Tiger

Police in New Jersey are searching for a woman who scaled the fence of an enclosure at the Cohanzick Zoo and attempted to pet a gigantic Bengal tiger.

A private Facebook post from the Bridgeton Police Department (review by People) explained that an unidentified woman scaled the wooden fence into the tiger enclosure and put her hand through a mesh metal fence, using her hand to get the attention of a 500-lb. Bengal.

Harrowing footage obtained by News 12 New Jersey shows the tiger approach the woman before suddenly lunging, nearly biting her. After that, both the trespasser and the tiger quickly go their separate ways.

"Do not climb over the fence. Climbing over any zoo fence is against city ordinance 247-C,” the police department said in their statement. A similar message is posted on a sign near the tiger enclosure. According to News 12, the ordinance specifies that such an action could result in the guest being banned from the zoo.

“The high-quality care of the animals, along with the safety of our guests and visitors, is our top priority,” John Medica, Director of Recreation and Public Affairs for the City of Bridgeton, told People in a statement. "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,” he vowed.

According to the Cohanzick Zoo’s website, the tiger was one of two brothers donated in 2016 by a North Carolina zoo. “The tigers were a much-welcomed sight considering nearly two years before the zoo had lost the last of the two white tigers who had roamed the enclosure for many years,” the website explains.

No injuries were reported to either the tiger or the trespasser. Anyone who has information regarding the woman’s identity is urged to contact the Bridgeton Police Department.