Teenager mauled by tiger for 40 minutes after banging on its cage

April 19, 2016 6:17 PM

The news reports reveal that the victim, Elizaveta Kutkina had been trapped by the large cat through the bars of its cage at the zoo in the Russian city of Barnaul where the incident had taken place.

Elizaveta Kutkina

A 13-yr-old girl is reportedly recovering following her brush with death after she had been mauled by a tiger for 40 minutes for banging on its cage.

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The news reports reveal that the victim, Elizaveta Kutkina, had been trapped by the large cat through the bars of its cage at the Lesnaya Skazkapark zoo in the Russian city of Barnaul where the incident had taken place.

The Siberian Times reports the screaming 13-year-old had been grabbed by her coat which the tiger used to pull her closer before mauling her legs.

Zoo keepers have reportedly claimed that Kutkina and a friend, had incited the tiger by getting too close to the predators cage and banging on its enclosure, an act they have described as "childish stupidity."

Speaking during an interview, the Zoo director, Sergey Pisarev, said:

"He is a grown animal, nine years old. Obviously, the animal showed aggression because he's a predator.

"Of course, he grabbed her. The ambulance was called.

"All possible safety regulations were breached. It was a human factor, childish stupidity."

Kutkina had only survived the attack due to the fact that the tiger had been unable to bite or claw her properly though the bars of its cage.

The frightened teenager had been held for 40 seemingly endless minutes, unable to escape the tiger's grip despite frantic attempts by half a dozen bystanders.

An eyewitness, Anastasia Ptichkina, reveals that the two girls had banged on the tiger's cage after the zoo had been closed for the day.

"One of them turned out to be supper for the big cat.

"Luckily there were six or seven people in the park. The tiger gnawed through the screaming girl's leg muscles, All were shocked and tried to save the girl, but the tiger only became more angry and it gnawed her leg more aggressively.

"It was impossible to watch how it gnarled and licked her leg. Police and doctors also could hardly do anything. Thanks to the guys who managed to distract the animal. They even bought a piece of meat in the shop."

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The Zoo officials have reportedly revealed that the tiger would not be shot despite the attack on the girl.