NYPD Requests Help in Locating Suspect Who Jumped Inside Lion Enclosure

The New York Police Department (NYPD) is asking for help in locating the woman who jumped into the African lion enclosure at the Bronx Zoo on Saturday.

A bystander shared a video on Instagram of 32-year-old Myah Autry standing inside the animal’s enclosure. In the now-viral video, she appears to taunt the male lion as he stands watching her from the other side of the moat.

“I think it’s absolutely crazy. I don’t know why anyone would think to climb over there,” one zoo visitor told reporters.

The NYPD posted a photo of Autry to Twitter on Thursday, asking anyone with information regarding her whereabouts to contact the department.

🚨 WANTED for CRIMINAL TRESPASS: Do you know Myah Autry? On 9/28 she entered the fenced giraffe and lion area at the @BronxZoo without permission. If you have any information on her whereabouts call or DM @NYPDTips at 800-577-TIPS. All calls are anonymous. ☎️ pic.twitter.com/6MUeyicanX

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) October 3, 2019

Autry has since posted photos of people with tigers on what appears to be her own Instagram account.

Following the incident on Saturday, the Bronx Zoo issued a statement regarding its safety policies and said that it has a “zero-tolerance policy” for such behavior.

“This action was a serious violation and unlawful trespass that could have resulted in serious injury or death. Barriers and rules are in place to keep both visitors, staff, and animals safe,” the statement read.

Police said they believe Autry was high after a video on her Instagram account appeared to show her smoking a blunt just before she went inside the zoo.

“The woman who walked straight into the lion’s den at the Bronx Zoo — and survived — was high as a kite when confronting the king of the jungle … this according to cops, who say they found video of her smoking before her stunt,” according to TMZ.

Andres Rivera, a 22-year-old babysitter from Westchester, said it appeared from the video footage that Autry was “asking for it” by placing herself inside the lion enclosure.

“The fence is there for a reason. I don’t know if you’ve seen the new ‘Lion King’ remake, but, spoiler alert, one of the lions is killed by another lion,” Rivera concluded.