The buzz of excitement at Berlin Zoo was abruptly interrupted by panicked screams and a loud splash when something fell into the moat inside the polar bear enclosure.
To the surprise of the spectators, the sound of a 32-year-old woman was heard who was now inside the exhibit and swimming towards the polar bears.
It was a Friday in the spring of 2009, just days before Easter, locals and tourists alike flocked to the Berlin Zoo. The crowd was excited to see the zoo’s star attraction: the family of four polar bears.
It was feeding time and, as usual, the bears attracted large crowds as eager onlookers gathered around the enclosure to catch a glimpse of the arctic beasts. However, the predators are so dangerous that not even zookeepers enter the meadow during this time.
Their fun day at the zoo would soon turn into a nightmare after a woman scaled the three-foot perimeter wall and jumped into the freezing water.
Incredible photographs captured the bear as it lunged at the woman, biting the back of her neck, with the pain of the predator’s bite visible on its contorted face.
As the woman tries to escape her situation, one of the bears pushes her back into the water.
Visitors’ day of fun at the zoo would soon take a nightmarish turn after a woman scaled the three-foot perimeter wall and jumped into the icy water below and swam toward the bears.
Visitors were horrified to see the woman heading towards the polar bears that were perched on a rocky island in the center of the enclosure.
For her reckless decision, the woman would pay a price.
While most of the bears were too distracted by their food, one of the bears spotted the visitor to the enclosure and headed towards her before darting in the direction of the woman.
Incredible photographs captured the bear as it lunged at the woman, biting the back of her neck, with the pain of the predator’s bite visible on its contorted face.
Witnesses, including families with young children, were shocked to see what was happening before their eyes and many believed they were about to see a person mutilated to death.
Fortunately, before tragedy could occur, the woman began a frantic race to escape the premises.
At a steep wall separating the bears from the public, she encountered zookeepers who frantically threw life rings toward the woman while others threw meat and pushed the bears to leave the woman alone.
The zookeepers’ heroic efforts and the woman’s panicked escape attempts were caught on video.
To the surprise of onlookers, a 32-year-old woman was now inside the exhibit and swimming toward the polar bears.
Footage shows the 32-year-old woman repeatedly trying to escape her situation as she attempted to climb the wall by any means necessary.
At a steep wall separating the bears from the public, she encountered zookeepers who frantically threw life rings toward the woman while others threw meat and pushed the bears to leave the woman alone.
Footage shows the 32-year-old woman repeatedly attempting to escape her situation by attempting to climb the wall by any means necessary.
The terror of his situation seems to have no end as he continually slips back into the water as three of the four bears gather around him.
She is very close to being hoisted to safety in a life preserver before plunging back into the water.
On more than one occasion, one of the bears pushes her down and dives underwater and grabs the victim by the butt while trying to drag her away.
Eventually, the woman is dragged to safety using a life preserver while zookeepers keep the animals at bay by throwing food at them.
Once out of the water, calm returns to the enclosure with the polar bears now surrounded by debris from the tumultuous incident that unfolded.
The unnamed woman was rushed to a nearby hospital with injuries to her arms, hips, back and legs, but according to zookeepers she was lucky to escape alive.
The woman is eventually dragged to safety using a life preserver while zookeepers keep the animals at bay by throwing food at them.
The unnamed woman was rushed to a nearby hospital with injuries to her arms, hips, back and legs, but according to zookeepers she was lucky to escape alive.
Zoological biologist Heiner Klos then told the German press that the incident could have turned out “even more terrible.”
He added: ‘Our alarm system worked. Otherwise things would have gone badly for the bear.’
The polar bears were not punished for the attack. A police spokesman said in 2009 The mirror: “The woman jumped there carelessly and should logically expect adult polar bears to do such things.”
It was not the first time that a visitor immersed himself in the premises. In 2008, a 37-year-old man climbed into the enclosure with polar bear cub Knut. Two-year-old Knut became a global celebrity after becoming the first polar bear to be born and survive infancy at the zoo in more than 30 years.
The man went up to the meadow because he thought Knut was “alone.” However, before he could approach the animal, zookeepers noticed the intruder and lured Knut to a locked area with a piece of meat. The man was unharmed.
Despite this intrusion into the paddock, Berlin Zoo has resisted calls to increase the height of the concrete wall surrounding the exhibit.
Instead, the zoo insisted that those who want to participate “will always find a way.”
