YouTube/Jamaica Observer
A video captures the moment a lion bites of a man’s finger at a Jamaica zoo.
You can watch the video later in this article. It shows the moment that the lion grabs the man’s finger and won’t let go.
According to Jamaica Observer, the incident occurred at Jamaica Zoo and involved a zoo attendant. The original story in Jamaica Observer, which broke the news of the incident, stated that it occurred on Friday, May 20, 2022.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Man Stuck His Finger Through a Hole in a Fence, the Video Shows
In the short video, the man sticks his fingers through a fence with the large lion sitting on the other side. The man appears to be trying to pet the lion or otherwise get the creature’s attention. That works, but perhaps not in the way he intended as the lion eventually locks on to the man’s finger.
After a short struggle between the lion and man, the man falls to the ground. Other people have their cell phones out and are watching and filming the incident.
Daily Mail reported that 15 people were watching the incident unfold.
“When it happened, I thought it was a joke. I didn’t think it was serious. I didn’t realize the seriousness of it, because it’s their job to put on a show,” a witness told Jamaica Observer, which reported that the man’s right ring finger was bitten off.
“Obviously, when he fell on the ground everybody realized that it was serious. Everybody started to panic,” she added to the site. The woman told Jamaica Observer, “The entire skin and about the first joint of his finger was gone. I ran away from the whole thing, because me nuh like see blood and it was too graphic for me.”
The Zoo Declared That the Event ‘Should Never Have Happened’
YouTubeThe lion bites off the man’s finger.
According to Jamaica Observer, the zoo is located in St. Elizabeth, and the zoo officials have released a statement, indicating the man in the video is a contractor.
“The actions displayed in a video by a contractor to Jamaica Zoo, is tragic and do not represent the safety procedures and policies that must be adhered to at all times at Jamaica Zoo,” the release read in part, according to that news site.
“It is an unfortunate event that should never have happened, and we the family of Jamaica Zoo are doing everything to assist the gentleman in moving forward. We do hope you continue to support Jamaica Zoo. We have always been and will continue to be a safe place for you and your family to visit,” the release said.
The news site reported that the lion “severed” the man’s finger, shocking visitors who witnessed the incident. The video has gone viral online and on Google. The man’s name has not been released.
Here, at Jamaica Zoo, we have a wide variety of different animals. Some of our animals include Lions (born in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth), Llama, Zebras, Monkeys, Crocodiles, and, Toucans to name a few. We also have a petting area, in which our visitors have the option to take pictures with some of our smaller animals, such as our Ball Python Snake who’s given name is Peter and Lizzy, which is a baby green Iguana, not to mention our pet crocodile ‘Sof’ and a few more.
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