Zookeepers at Copenhagen Zoo were forced to shoot a polar bear with rubber bullets after a man jumped into its enclosure.
In front of a crowd of adults and children the Lithuanian man, whose identity has not been confirmed, jumped into the cage and approached Ivan, a ten-year-old, 621-kilogram polar bear.
The bear was screamed at by onlookers to get away but investigated by pawing, sniffing, and scratching the intruder.
After less than two minutes of the alarm being raised, keepers appeared and opened fire on the bear who then left the man alone, allowing for his retrieval by staff.
Park manager Steffen Straede was in a visible state of shock as he addressed members of the media in relation to the incident.
He said that the man “walked up to the male bear of his own free will”.
Adding that he was fortunate to escape with “only superficial wounds”.
There must be something in the water in Copenhagen, the zoo has hit the headlines on numerous occasions. It is the same park that put down a giraffe before dissecting it, and feeding it to lions in front of shocked visitors and children.
It was also the site of a fatal attack on a 21-year-old male by a Siberian tiger in 2012.
The zoo says it has no plans to modify enclosures.
Why would they? If people are determined to enter a cage they will, and they will be lucky if they get out again.
