A woman at the Bronx Zoo in New York climbed into the lion exhibit Thursday and confessed her love to one of the lions.
Several witnesses recorded the incident on their cellphones as the woman jumped into the enclosure holding red roses and tossing money at the lion, according to NBC New York. (RELATED: Tiger Tests Positive For COVID-19 At Bronx Zoo)
“I missed him so much,” the woman can be heard saying in one of the videos that captured the incident.
A woman visiting New York’s Bronx Zoo climbed over the barrier to the lion exhibit and exclaimed, “King, I love you, I came back for you,” according to witnesses. https://t.co/l6FRkCXHOR
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 12, 2021
The woman was reportedly wearing a red dress, leopard-print shawl, and a blond wig. She began talking to the lion from about 15 feet away, witnesses said.
“King, I love you, I came back for you,” the woman proclaimed to the lion, according to witnesses. The woman was also seen throwing $100 bills in the direction of the lion, according to The Hill. The incident happened around 4 p.m. Thursday, according to zoo officials.
A woman visiting New York’s Bronx Zoo Thursday climbed over the barrier to the lion exhibit and exclaimed, “King, I love you, I came back for you,” according to witnesses. https://t.co/nS5iqIXfMd
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) November 12, 2021
Witnesses alerted zoo officials about the woman, but by the time they arrived, she had left, a spokesperson for the Bronx Zoo said. Zoo officials said the woman was near a moat that separated the lions from the public and she was not in any danger.
Police later identified the woman as Myah Autrey. She is the same woman who entered the same lion exhibit and taunted a lion in 2019, according to AMNY.
“This situation involves one individual who is determined to harass our lions with no regard for her safety, or the safety of our staff and our guests, and no regard for the well-being of the lions. We have an NYPD substation in the park and are working closely with them to resolve this situation with this individual,” said a Wildlife Conservation Society spokesperson, according to NBC New York. “The Bronx Zoo has a zero-tolerance policy in matters such as this and will aggressively seek prosecution against this individual and anyone who violates park safety rules.”
The lion did not engage with Autrey and seemed unaffected by the stunt, AMNY reported. The lion remained lying down on the ground and looked at her in confusion.