Memphis Zoo bans woman for hopping barrier to feed lions cookies

MEMPHIS , June 24 (UPI) -- Wonder if they were animal crackers?

An unidentified Tennessee woman has been banned from the Memphis Zoo for hopping a barrier and entering the enclosure that holds the lions to feed them cookies.

Other zoo patrons called the zoo's hotline number after seeing the woman jump the barrier and hearing her singing to the lions. When the woman was over the barrier, the only thing separating her from the lions was some wire.

"[She was singing] some song that was telling how much she missed them. It was bizarre," witness Michelle Beasley told WMC. "I've never seen someone singing to a lion. It was really loud."

This was the woman's second incident in recent weeks.

"Last week she was noticed by our security staff throwing objects into the lion exhibit; at that time she was asked to leave the zoo," Memphis Zoo spokeswoman Abbey Dane said. "She was asked to leave the zoo permanently. She will not be granted access to the zoo anymore."

The woman's photo has been issued to zoo employees in case she attempts to come back in the future.