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- Wolves attack, seriously injure woman jogging in zoo (newsbreak.com)
Authorities are delving into an incident where a 37-year-old woman was severely injured after being attacked by three wolves at a zoo located just outside of Paris in Thoiry, about 25 miles from the French capital. She suffered bites to her neck, calf, and back during the attack, as per a source with knowledge of the situation speaking to AFP. The situation unfolded when the screams of the woman, under attack, were heard by zoo staff.
Versailles’ chief prosecutor, Maryvonne Caillibotte, initially expressed concerns for the woman’s life but it was later reported that her injuries, though serious, were not life-threatening. Investigative reports suggest the woman ventured out for a jog early Sunday morning after staying overnight with her family in a safari lodge at the zoo. According to Christelle Bercheny, CEO of Wow Safari Thoiry, the victim found herself on foot in an area of the park designated as the “American reserve,” typically only accessible by car.
The park emphasizes survival rules for visitors, indicating the wildlife in the park behaves as if it is in the wild or semi-wild, responding to the unexpected presence of humans. The lodge in the wolf zone, boasting intimate experiences with Arctic wolves viewed from the living room, charges between 220 and 760 euros per night. The zoo highlights the strictly carnivorous nature of the Arctic wolf, a subspecies of the gray wolf, known for its proficient hunting skills due to its keen senses.
Arctic wolves, sometimes known as white or polar wolves, inhabit the Arctic’s icy expanse and are noted by the International Fund for Animal Welfare for their lack of inherent distrust towards humans, unlike other wolf species that face daily human encroachment.
The circumstances leading to the woman’s presence in the safari zone, an area restricted to vehicle access, where she was subsequently attacked, remain unclear. It’s unknown if the incident resulted from a navigational error or an inadequately marked trail.
Responders swiftly managed the scene, moving the wolves away and later returning them to their enclosure. It was noted that the woman would have had to bypass several security measures, including a trench and an electric fence designed to contain the animals, to find herself in such peril.
The investigation is ongoing, examining how the security systems intended to protect both visitors and wildlife were overcome. Thoiry Zoo, established in 1968 by Paul de la Panouse and later sold to a group of investors in 2018, boasts a legacy intertwined with wildlife conservation and public engagement, marked by its foundational stock of animals and its innovative approach to offering close encounters with nature.
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- Wolves attack, seriously injure woman jogging in zoo (newsbreak.com)