A woman caught on video climbing over a barrier at a New Jersey zoo and then taunting a nearby tiger, who nearly bites her, has been charged.
Zyair Dennis is facing a count of defiant trespassing in connection with the dangerous encounter at Cohanzick Zoo in Bridgeton, local authorities said in a statement this week. She was also accused of violating a pair of city ordinances “covering general conduct of persons pertaining to climbing fences within the zoo,” according to Chief of Police, Michael Gaimari Sr.
Video of the incident, which occurred on August 18, quickly started making the rounds online last week. Police said that 24-year-old Dennis climbed over a wooden fence and into a restricted area, leaving only a wire fence between her and the zoo’s Bengal tiger.
The clip shows her taunting the jungle cat and sticking her hands through holes in the wire fence. At one point, the tiger races towards her and places both paws on the divider, prompting Dennis to take a quick step backwards. She eventually returns to the other side of the wooden fence and walks off, leaving a seemingly annoyed tiger in her wake.
Gaimari said the video footage triggered an outpouring of tips, which helped them to quickly identify the suspect.
According to police, the restricted area Dennis allegedly breached is also adjacent to the zoo’s bear enclosure. Gaimari said authorities are aware of a similar video “depicting the same scenario at the bear enclosure the same day involving the same person.”
