Man Injured By Jaguar At Florida Zoo

JACKSONVILLE (CBSMiami/AP) — A man who climbed over a barrier was injured after he got too close to a jaguar at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.

The attack occurred Wednesday at the Range of the Jaguar exhibit. The man was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, zoo officials said.

The man climbed over a waist-high safety barrier that puts about 4 feet of empty space between visitors and the jaguar exhibit's fence, zoo spokeswoman Kelly Rouillard said. The man began taunting the jaguar and reached his hand through the fence, she said.

A 12-year-old big cat named Harry swiped at the man and injured him. Rouillard said the feline was acting as part of his normal behavior for a wild animal and didn't expect anything to happen to him. Harry was involved in a fight that left another jaguar dead earlier this year.

Zoo officials said they don't plan to pursue criminal charges against the injured man, whose name wasn't released.