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Woman charged with trespassing after tiger bites her hand

By Tomas Monzon
A Malaysian tiger in Omaha bit the left hand of a woman who snuck into a zoo late at night and attempted to pet him. File photo by Tom/Flickr
A Malaysian tiger in Omaha bit the left hand of a woman who snuck into a zoo late at night and attempted to pet him. File photo by Tom/Flickr

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OMAHA, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- A woman in Omaha was accused of trespassing after sneaking into a local zoo and being bitten by a tiger on Halloween night.

Jacqueline Edie, 33, is currently being treated for injuries on her left hand at the Creighton University Medial Center. Edie, who showed signs of intoxication and acted aggressively towards hospital staff, allegedly snuck into the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium Saturday night to pet an 18-year-old Malayan tiger named Mai.

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Zoo officials say that upon reaching into the animal's cage, the tiger bit Edie's hand and caused severe trauma. A friend then transported Edie to the hospital.

Police say the incident may have occurred at 4 a.m. The incident is currently under investigation by the Omaha Police Department.

How Edie managed to enter the zoo is still under investigation. Executive director Dennis Pate told Sky News additional cameras are being installed at the zoo, which is currently staffed by 24-hour security personnel and equipped with computerized locks for entry and exit points.

Zoo patron Ron Hegg told Omaha.com the tiger's actions were understandable. "It's not like it got loose and attacked someone," Hegg said. "It was just protecting its territory."

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