According to the City of Madison Police Department, the woman, Amanda Hall, 24, of San Luis Obispo, climbed over one fence and partially through a second fence that is around the giraffe exhibit around 5:34 p.m. when Wally, a two-year-old, 12-foot tall giraffe licked Hall's face. He then turned and kicked her in the face.
Police say Hall sustained non-life threatening injuries. Zoo staff say the giraffes are capable of killing lions and say that Hall was lucky that she was not more seriously injured.
Police cited Hall for harassment of zoo animals, which has a fine of $686. Hall told officer that she climbed into the exhibit because she loves giraffes.
Zoo curator Jeff Stafford says the giraffe was just reacting to someone coming into its home. Stafford says people going over the railings does happen occasionally at Henry Vilas Zoo. He says it's important to stay out of all the zoo animals' space for everyone's safety.
Hall disputed the allegations in an interview with The Times. Instead, she said, she easily stepped over a 3-foot-high gate-like barrier and did not climb the second fence. She said the giraffe put its head through a gap in the fence and ate some grass out of her hand.
“He had some grass and nuzzled my head,” Hall said. “He licked me and then I got a kick to the chin. It was a shock.”
She plans to dispute the citation.
Hall said she grew up with animals like horses and cattle, and stressed that she doesn't fault the zoo or the giraffe. Nobody is to blame for what happened, she said.
“I was not trying to harm the giraffe. I just don’t think it’s fair,” she said, referring to the citation.
“I got hit in the face by a giraffe. I had to deal with all that. That was a lot of pain to deal with already. I don’t need a fine and this on my record. I don’t 'harass' zoo animals. I’m an animal lover.”
Hall, who planned to return to California on Monday, said she’d like to apologize to the zoo for “stepping over the line.”
Zoo officials told police that Hall was lucky not to have been seriously injured since giraffes are capable of killing lions.
“Obviously I won’t do it again,” she said. The barricade is “there for a reason. I just didn’t think twice about it. I just didn’t think it was a big deal.”
(Los Angeles Times - Aug 18, 2014)
