A woman wearing a blonde wig and carrying a bouquet of roses climbed into the lion enclosure at the famed Bronx Zoo in New York City Thursday and started throwing money at the big cat.
“I missed him so much. I missed him so much,”The woman confessed her love for the animal and was recorded saying it.
The incident occurred at 4 p.m. on Thursday. Bronx Zoo spokesperson said that witnesses reported the incident to staff, but that she had vanished by the time they arrived. NBC reported.
The woman climbed up a low fence to enter the exhibit. However, a deep trench prevented her from getting too close. It may have saved her lives, which was a blessing for her.
Officials at the Zoo stated that they intend to press criminal charges for trespass. NBC New York reported.
“The woman did not enter the exhibit and was never in the same space as the lions which are separated from zoo visitors by a wide moat,”Bronx Zoo stated in a statement that New York Post. “The incident lasted only a couple of minutes and the woman was gone when staff arrived on scene. The zoo intends to prosecute the woman for criminal trespass if she is identified.”
The suspect is Myah Autrey. She was charged with criminal Trespassing. According to the Zoo’s website, she was also banned from the zoo for similar antics in 2019. New York Daily News.
New York Daily News reported that police were on Friday looking for Autry.
“This situation involves one individual who is determined to harass our lions with no regard for her safety, or the safety of our staff and our guests, and no regard for the well-being of the lions,” Bronx Zoo spokesperson Max Pulsinelli said in a statement to the Daily News. “The Bronx Zoo has a zero tolerance policy in matters such as this and will aggressively seek prosecution against this individual and anyone who violates park safety rules.”
