LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Oct. 11 (UPI) -- An Arkansas hospital said a 3-year-old boy is recovering from injuries sustained during a fall into the jaguar exhibit at the Little Rock Zoo.
Lt. Sidney Allen of the Little Rock Police Department said the child suffered extensive scalp lacerations, a depressed skull fracture and minor puncture wounds during the incident Friday, but it was not known whether the wounds resulted from the fall or an altercation with one of the animals.
Arkansas Children's Hospital released a statement Saturday saying the child's condition is improving.
"The child's condition has been upgraded to stable and is expected to improve," hospital Communications Director Dan McFadden said in the statement. "We respect the wishes of the child's guardian who asked that the child's name and any additional information not be shared at this time."
The police report of the incident said the boy fell about 15-16 feet into the exhibit late Friday morning and was seen with a jaguar's mouth around his neck before being retrieved by zoo workers.
"Zoo staff were able to successfully keep the cats back while other zoo staff lowered a ladder into the exhibit," the City of Little Rock said in a statement. "A zoo staffer then climbed into the exhibit and retrieved the child who was conscious and responding. The child was then handed to the child's father and both were taken by golf cart to the zoo's back gate entrance where the child was placed in an ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital."
The zoo remained open after the incident.
