Last Friday, a 32-year-old woman leaped a fence and scaled a wall to jump into a Berlin Zoo enclosure holding four polar bears (including Knut). Six zookeepers attempted to distract the bears, but she was still bitten several times by one of the creatures. Even though it was their normal feeding time, she was able to be pulled out safely – minus those injuries – and was rushed to the hospital for surgery. 
Now after my initial shock, I flashbacked to a similar situation that so disturbed me as a child, that I instantly recalled that story when hearing this one. Learn what stuck in my head some 22 years later, when you read more.
In 1987, three kids broke into the Brooklyn's Prospect Park Zoo after dark, and attempted to swim in the polar bears' moat. One child was attacked by the bears, locals called police when hearing yells but, by the time the officials arrived, the animals had eaten both his legs . . . and the officers shot and killed both bears. As a child, I was unable to comprehend most of this situation, including why they still killed Teddy and Lucy. Now, I assume we'll hear more about this 32-year-old woman's motives in coming weeks, but I commend the Berlin Zoo's quick-thinking keepers to attempt to save this women without instantly harming the bears in the process.
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I agree. This woman was obviously mentally disturbed and those bears were just acting like bears. It really makes me wonder why zoos are still in existence if the public cannot even be content to look at the animals from a safe distance. I hope they arrested that woman for reckless endangerment.
1"I hope they arrested that woman for reckless endangerment."
2From what I heard the Berlin zoo already brought a charge against her, and knowing German authorities that woman will have some nice long chats with psycholgists in the near future.
Im sorry but why in the world would you jump into a polar bear enclosure unless your either mentally disturbed or really dumb!! this woman is lucky she is still alive!
3That's just so stupid. These animals are still wild in a lot of ways. Invading a wild animal's territory (even ones in captivity) is asking for a chomping from said animal. I really hope that woman gets a psychiatry exam in jail.
4People have lost all common sense!
5yes, i agree this woman must be mentally unstable to jump into the polar bears enclosure. my question though is why is it so easy to get in there in the first place? that woman is very very lucky she got out alive and with few injuries.
6I am so happy they did not have to kill the bears. She willingly jumped in to swim with them (in other pictures I have seen, she is smiling like a crazy person toward one of the bears). They only bit her because she was threatening them. Meaning, there was a strange creature approaching them whose intention was unknown...they reacted like any animal would react. I can't stand how people don't respect wild animals then are confused when they defend themselves.
7Suicide by bears? It's terrible. The bears reacted like bears do, of course, but I'd understand if they had to shot the animals. I guess that in Petsugar's story there was no time to find tranquilizers.
8she is an idiot!
9i wish the bears would have eaten her.
10and it was feeding time no less, what an idiot!!
11I'm just glad they didn't kill the bears. I never understand why people take wild animals out of the wild, and when they act like natural wild animals they get shot. Like when you hear about circus tigers/elephants on the loose, people always sound so shocked when they attack/kill owners or trainers or people that got too close. They are wild animals after all, eventually they realize "Hey, I'm bigger than you".
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