It should go without saying, but zoo animals are kept inside enclosures for a reason, and that reason is to keep everyone (including those animals) safe from harm.
You aren’t only putting yourself in danger when you decide to forgo the warning signs and hop the fence at your local zoo. If anything happens to you in there, it’s very likely that animal will be put down simply for reacting to your intrusion. Which really isn’t fair at all.
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Although zoo rules are super clear, apparently not everyone feels like they need to abide by them.
A woman recently climbed over the fence into the African lion enclosure at the Bronx Zoo to take an Instagram video.
According to Insider , the woman posted footage of herself to her social media account , which shows her being filmed as she breaks into the exhibit and stands just a few meters away from the dangerous predator.
In the background of the video, someone says, “You aren’t supposed to do that,” to which the woman responds, “I want to get closer to him, sorry.”
As she faces off against the male lion, the bold woman begins taunting the creature.
She can be seen waving her hands at him and dancing, all the while he continues to stare at her, seemingly more confused than angry.
The woman appears to be attempting to provoke the animal, possibly trying to get a reaction from him as she repeatedly says, “I love you baby.”
Neither the woman nor the lion were injured during the incident, though serious concerns remain.
The video, which was posted to the woman’s Instagram account on Sunday, shows the the incident that took place on Saturday.
Known only on the account as Queen Empress Myáh Lareé Israelite , the woman captioned the clip, “I REALLY HAVE NO FEAR OF NOTHING BREATHING” and added, “Only people wasn’t scared was me and the children. All the adults was scared.”
The video currently has over 52,000 views.
She posted other videos of the dangerous encounter to her Instagram account, which show her further taunting the animal.
In the comments, people have expressed their outrage at her selfish and dangerous behavior, with many pointing out the harm she could have caused to the innocent lion.
“If the animal tries to hurt you, it could be killed to save your life,” one user wrote. “Think about it.”
Another added, “His blood would have been on your hands. You have no respect for wildlife or safety. Safety not for you but for the lion.”
One man captured the entire incident and uploaded it to his own Instagram account.
Hernán Reynos told News 4 New York he had been recording the lion with his phone when the woman suddenly hopped the fence in what he initially thought was just a part of the exhibit.
“She was just there, dancing, saying, ‘Hi’ to the lion and everything and that was crazy,” he said, adding that at one point the lion actually roared, and that’s when he gathered his family to leave.
It would appear the woman wasn’t done with her self-guided zoo tour after she left the lion’s enclosure.
Also on Sunday, she posted another video, this time showing her trespassing in the giraffe exhibit as two of the long-necked animals look on. Again, she waves her hands and taunts them, seemingly looking for a reaction.
In this caption, she wrote that the giraffes came closer and wagged their tails while she spoke to them, adding, “I HAVE NO FEAR, ALL I HAVE IS LOVE.”
Again, people were definitely not amused by her actions and took to the comments to share their feelings towards the woman.
“Girl you need to be arrested,” one person wrote, while dozens of others simply commented to tag the New York Police Department’s Instagram page.
Another person added, “Tail wagging by [giraffes] is a sign of annoyance and flies. Not happy. Wondering why you are trespassing in their place.”
Unsurprisingly, zoo officials aren’t happy about the woman sneaking inside the lion’s enclosure.
In an interview with CNN , a spokesperson from the Bronx Zoo said, “The action was a serious violation and unlawful trespass that could have resulted in serious injury or death.”
The New York Police Department has also confirmed that the zoo filed a complaint for criminal trespassing.
On Thursday, police identified the trespassing woman’s identity and are now asking for the public’s help to track her down.
A post on the NYPD Twitter account reveals the woman’s name is 32-year-old Myah Autry who is now wanted for criminal trespass.
Anyone with information on Autry’s whereabouts are asked to call 800-577-TIPS or DM the Twitter account.
But it would seem being wanted by police hasn’t compelled Autry to slow her social media presence by any means.
She has continued to post to her Instagram account and has actually uploaded more than 45 new posts since her original lion enclosure video went up.
These posts range from videos of her in Time Square to her riding a ferry in Long Island.
Even after her name was released by police on Thursday, she continued to share bizarre posts with her Instagram followers.
One picture features former boxer Floyd Mayweather sitting on some stairs with his pet tiger on a leash next to him. Another shows Michael Jackson posing with a baby tiger, and a third one shows Mike Tyson with one of his Bengal tigers.
Each picture was captioned the same way: “I LOVE YOU KING.”
