Boy attacked by lynx at zoo
NORMAN, Okla. – A 3-year-old boy suffered superficial wounds when a 45-pound European lynx clawed him through a chain-link fence at a zoo, the zoo’s director said Tuesday.
The boy was looking at swans at the Little River Zoo on Monday when he left the path and went under a rope barrier, over a low retaining wall and up to the fence surrounding the cat’s enclosure, zoo director Janet Schmid said. The cat was able to get its paw through the chain link.
The boy, who hasn’t been identified, was scratched on the side of his head but wasn’t seriously injured, Schmid said.
“Before he went to the hospital, the bleeding had already stopped and the emergency medical technician said he could be treated right there at the zoo but the father asked that he be taken to the hospital,” she said.
The cat’s outside enclosure, which is not part of the regular exhibits at the zoo, has a fenced-in top.
The zoo placed the lynx in an inside enclosure and built a solid fence to keep the public away from the outside area.
Schmid said the facility complies with all applicable federal regulations.
Schmid said the lynx, which is between 2 and 3 years old and has been at the zoo since birth, will be kept inside for 10 days while it is observed by a veterinarian.
More Stories
USF admin’s response to suicides unclear. What we know so far.
USF’s administration will not say who or how it will prevent future suicides on campus a month after a student leapt from an upper floor balcony of the Interdisciplinary Science Building – the third suicide since fall 2022. The Oracle has asked repeatedly about which USF administrators are overseeing suicide prevention initiatives and how the […]
USF SG leaders look back on campaign accomplishments while on non-speaking terms
Student body president Cesar Esmeraldi and vice president Elizabeth Volmy reached nearly every campaign goal during their term. The one thing that didn’t persevere was their unity. The pair ended their tenure reflecting on it from separate rooms. “We’ve had a great year,” Esmeraldi said. “I’m very happy with everything we’ve built. But because of […]
USF’s ‘Take Back the Night’ allows sexual survivors to share pain, resilience: ‘Recovery isn’t easy.’
A sexual assault survivor, who was the first speaker at Wednesday evening’s “Take Back the Night,” said the hardest day of their life was not when they were assaulted – it was the day after. “When I had to call my mom and tell her how her [child lost their] virginity and tell my therapist […]
USF campus ministers offer perspective on stadium development: ‘Exciting benefit of exposure.’
Take a tranquil stroll down Sycamore Drive. It’s a quieter part of campus, hidden away from the usual hustle and bustle of USF. It’s home to an area colloquially known as “Religious Row,” a collection of on-campus religious organizations. In just a few years – with the construction of an on-campus football stadium – the […]
McKinley Drive closed down for death investigation, Tampa police say
The intersection between Fowler Avenue and McKinley Drive was closed due to a death investigation late Wednesday afternoon, according to the Tampa Police Department (TPD). A man shot himself after making a bomb threat in the parking lot of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), located at 11201 McKinley Drive, according to TPD. Police said […]
USF 2024-25 A&S budget to increase student organization funding in Tampa and St. Pete
The Student Government (SG) Senate approved the 2024-25 Student Activities & Services (A&S) budget for all three campuses this Tuesday, seeing an overall increase in allocated money to student organizations. The vote was 26-0, approving the budget. Related: 2023-24 A&S budget down $5 million from last fiscal year Students pay fees in their tuition – […]