A woman was seen climbing over a barrier at the Bronx Zoo's lion exhibit, witnesses exclusively told NBC New York, as cellphone video showed her holding roses and tossing money toward the fearsome feline.
The incident occurred around 4 p.m. last Thursday, according to the zoo. The woman in a blond wig, red dress and leopard-print shawl addressed the animal from about 15 away as if it were a long-lost friend, witnesses said. She carried flowers and threw what appeared to be cash into the air at one point.
The woman whose husband recorded the cellphone footage told News 4 that the apparent lion lover said "King, I love you, I came back for you," adding that witnessing the wild stunt was "was definitely surreal."
A spokesperson for the Bronx Zoo said that onlookers alerted staff about the woman, but she was gone by the time they got there. The zoo said she was on the other side of a protective moat separating the enclosure from the viewing public, and that she was not in any danger.