Binky’s primal, guttural roar was heard everywhere as he sank his claws and teeth into the tourist’s flesh.
The young tourist screamed in terror, wondering if the polar bear’s fangs would be the last thing she would see.
All about a close-up photo of the bear.
Moments earlier, the tourist, 29-year-old Australian Kathryn Warburton, foolishly decided that the only photo of Binky worth taking was the one that required her to jump over two safety railings at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage in July 1994. .
It is not clear why he did this. The aggressive polar bear, which weighed 1,200 pounds (544 kg), already had a bad reputation, having ripped off a zookeeper’s finger 14 years earlier.
The goalkeeper said in 1983, three years after losing his finger: “Binky is stubborn (and) independent, and he likes to play.”
‘When he’s feeling really stubborn, he walks to the middle of his studio and sits down. He knows I can’t close it. He is a very intelligent bear.
As Kathryn approached, Binky matched her movements and finally poked her head through the tall metal bars of her enclosure.
Video footage showed Binky howling as several tourists desperately tried to free Kathryn from the bear’s teeth and claws.
Australian tourist Kathryn Warburton (pictured) was seriously injured during the bear attack.
Binky was seen displaying her shoe around her cage.
Undeterred, Kathryn held the camera up to her face to take the perfect photo.
That’s when he pounced.
Video footage showed Binky howling as several tourists desperately tried to free Kathryn from the bear’s teeth and claws.
The tourists tore branches from nearby trees to bash the bear’s head as its teeth sank deeper into Kathryn’s body.
A petrified Kathryn can be heard screaming in terror as people around her tried to snatch her from the killer bear.
Eventually, their grips loosen and Kathryn was pulled away from the life-threatening incident. Kathryn was left with severe bites and a broken leg, and was hospitalized almost immediately after the attack.
But not before Binky showed off his prize.
Minutes after the incident, Binky was seen proudly showing off a shoe he had taken from Kathryn.
Other tourists were forced to intervene and separate the wife from Binky.
He was known for his temper, having ripped off a zookeeper’s finger in 1980.
Binky sadly died in 1995 after a suspected parasitic infection.
Local media reported at the time that the bear kept the woman’s shoe for three days before zoo officials were able to retrieve it.
This image appeared in newspapers around the world and was passed on to countless people, who largely supported Binky.
Merchandise featuring Binky’s face was sold around the world, and one T-shirt emblazoned the slogan: “Send another tourist, this one got away.”
Then-Alaska Zoo Director Sammye Seawell harshly criticized Kathryn’s decision to jump over two barriers to take a better photo.
In the words of Seawell, Kathryn’ He violated the rules and endangered the bear’s life.
However, Kathryn wasn’t the only one. Just six weeks after Kathryn almost died, Binky attacked a group of drunk teenagers who apparently wanted to swim in the pool at her compound.
A 19-year-old man was hospitalized with lacerations to his leg. While the Alaska Zoo did not confirm that Binky was the attacker, he had blood on his face after the incident, leaving the public to draw their own conclusion.
Unfortunately, Binky’s life did not improve much after these attacks.
He is believed to have died from a parasite he contracted from his cage mate a year after the attacks. Despite its terrifying nature, his funeral was attended by countless people.