Drunk Woman Allegedly Sneaks Into Zoo, Bitten by Tiger, Police Say

An Omaha woman was bitten after reaching into a tiger's cage to pet it.

ByABC News
November 2, 2015, 1:31 PM

— -- A woman allegedly snuck into an Omaha zoo after hours Sunday morning and was bitten by a tiger when she tried to pet it, police said.

Jacqueline Eide, 33, was believed to have been intoxicated when she and a friend snuck into the Henry Doorly Zoo, the Omaha Police Department said in a statement Sunday morning.

Police were called to the Creighton University Medical Center at 7:20 a.m. regarding a patient who "was very aggressive" and non-cooperative, according to a police report.

Police determined Eide had made "unauthorized entry" into the zoo and reached into a tiger's cage to pet it when the tiger bit her, causing severe injuries to multiple fingers on her left hand, and was then transported to the hospital by her friend, police said.

The Henry Doorly Zoo believes an 18-year-old three-legged Malayan tiger named Mai was the tiger involved in the incident, the zoo said in a statement on its website, adding that emergency phone numbers are printed on maps across the zoo and security staff keeps watch on the grounds around the clock.

"The safety and security of our guests and animals are always a priority at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium," Dennis Pate, the zoo's executive director and CEO, said in the statement. "We will continue to keep security a top priority for Zoo guests and animals."

Eide was cited for criminal trespass and is currently being treated at the hospital, police said. The incident is under investigation.

"She remains in fair condition today," Kathy Sarantos Niver, a spokeswoman for the Creighton University Medical Center told ABC News today.