Man jumped into polar bear enclosure at Copenhagen Zoo

He escaped only with superficial injuries

Lucie Rychla

A 28-year-old man jumped into a polar bear enclosure at Copenhagen Zoo today.

Despite his close encounter with one of the most dangerous animals in the world, the man – who is allegedly mentally ill – sustained only minor injuries.

According to the police, the young man climbed over the fence of the Arctic Ring enclosure, fell seven meters down into the security pit, climbed out and walked towards the polar bear.

“The bear grabbed him and held on to him,” Erik Gøtje Larsen, a police officer on duty, told DR.

All for a better photo
Zookeepers shot several rounds of rubber bullets at the bear to chase him off, then freed the man.

Several bystanders told DR the man jumped down into the Arctic Ring enclosure to take a photo.

A group of 20 students in the 6th and 7th grades witnessed the incident and were offered psychological help at the zoo.

Copenhagen Zoo received a pair of polar bears in 2013, but only one of them was out today.

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