The Woman Who Got Clawed By A Jaguar At A Zoo Says She Wasn’t Taking A Selfie And Didn’t Cross A Barrier 

The woman who got a claw to the arm after allegedly jumping a barrier at Wildlife World Zoo in Litchfield Park, Arizona to get a selfie with a jaguar has come out to say she didn’t jump the barrier and she was’t trying to get a selfie. The woman says that she knows she was in the wrong BUT (that but is definitely presented to you by her attorney’s office) she thinks the zoo should push back the jaguar’s fence. As for that jaguar’s response, just take a look at that picture of her throwing a “Trick, r u serious?” look.

The woman, who wanted to be known as “Leanne” only, talked to CBS News (via AZ  Family) about how on Saturday, she ended up in the hospital after getting shanked with a jaguar’s claw. Witnesses say that Leanne jumped the barrier to get a selfie with the female jaguar. The barrier is a low concrete planter with some shrubs in it.

The jaguar stuck her claw in Leanne’s arm, and another zoo goer distracted the cat with a water bottle and she was dragged to safety. She was treated at the hospital with an arm cut and was released. Leanne pulled some “don’t piss on my head and tell me it’s raining” nonsense by saying that she didn’t cross the barrier, but she did lean over the barrier to get a close-up pic of the jaguar.

“I never crossed the barrier. I was not trying to get a selfie. If I was trying to get a selfie, I think my injuries would be in a different place. I was never in the enclosure. I never passed the barrier, but I do admit to leaning over the barrier.”

I would love to peer inside of her brain as she busted out a complex mental gymnastics move to convince herself that “passing the barrier” and “leaning over the barrier” are two completely different things. That must’ve been a gold-winning move. The Simone Biles of mental gymnastics!

The day after Leanne learned the ouch way that “leaning over the barrier” at a jaguar exhibit isn’t a good idea, the zoo said that she paid them a visit to apologize. But Leanne wanted to make it clear that her apology wasn’t an admission of her crossing the barrier to take a selfie (again, that statement is probably presented to you by her attorney’s office). Leanne apologized because she claims the zoo was getting backlash, although, I only saw backlash against her. She talked to CBS News after the story blew up.

“I apologized to the zoo because they don’t need this. They don’t need the backlash, the media. I never went to the media. I never would have. I didn’t want this big thing that’s now apparently national.”

Leanne admitted she did a wrong, but believes the zoo needs to push back the fence since the cats can put their paws through it. Leanne wasn’t the first to be attacked by that jaguar. That jaguar attacked a barrier-ignorer before.

“I was in the wrong for leaning over the barrier, but I do think the zoo should look into move their fence back. I was told that it was at federal regulation, but if that jaguar can get her paw through the fence, anybody can reach out. I’m not the first, and if they don’t move the fence, I’m probably not going to be the last.”

The zoo still put the blame on people who ignore the barrier and break the rules. The jaguar has been moved out of that enclosure, but the zoo insists she won’t be put to sleep.

Leanne also shared the pics she got of the jaguar, including this one of the cat going, “Come closer, my sweet summer child, I just want to whisper sweet nothings into your ear as we cuddle. I’ll be big spoon.”

Leanne said she loves the zoo and has offered to start a fundraiser to raise money to move the fence back. So, wait, Leanne admits she was partly at fault, but she wants the jaguar to be punished by making the cat’s already-too-small prison cell even smaller?! This interview feels like Leanne planting the seeds of America’s favorite flower, The Lawsuit Blossom, so I just hope that there’s cameras in the courtroom during the trial. Because I really want to take in the legendary pussy eyeroll the jaguar will serve after being asked how she feels about the possibility of her cage getting downsized because of Leanne’s genius decision.

Pic: Leanne via CBS News