"Very irresponsible:" Woman caught on camera jumping over fence of tiger exhibit at zoo to retrieve hat
CANADA -- Toronto Zoo officials are investigating after a video surfaced showing a woman jumping into a tigers' exhibit.
The video shows the woman jumping over the first of two fences that separate visitors from the big cats. She appeared to be grabbing a hat that had fallen.
Inside the pen, a beautiful and deadly Sumatran tiger became excited -- quickly pacing back and forth on the fence line until the woman climbed back up to the observation area.
"It's a very bad idea. It's very irresponsible. It's irresponsible on any given day, but especially on a very busy day when there's lots of families around with young children to watch that," a zoo employee said.
Zoo officials said while the video is dramatic, the woman wasn't in any real danger.
"She would still have a protective fence between her and the tiger," a zoo employee said.
Another reason for the two fences is distance. Zoo staff doesn't want people to be able to agitate the animals easily.
Animals, while in captivity, are still very dangerous.
Recently, a zookeeper in Palm Beach, Florida was mauled to death by the tiger she cared for.
People watching the stunt at the Toronto Zoo clearly understood the risk.
In the video, you can hear the woman being called a moron more than a half-dozen times.
One man in particular drove home the point that jumping the fence sets a really bad example for all of the children who were watching.
Zoo officials say if you ever drop an item in a restricted area, you should find a staff member and ask for help.
Officials have not been able to find the woman seen in the video. They are asking that witnesses come forward to help with their investigation.