A 23-year-old man was taken into custody this week after he was filmed trying to drown an elderly bear at a newly reopened zoo. The disturbing incident reportedly took place at the Warsaw Zoo in Poland, just a day after the country lifted its coronavirus lockdown.
The now-viral footage, shared by The Sun, shows an allegedly intoxicated man standing in the bear exhibit before the large animal charges at him. He then jumps into the moat in an effort to get away, but the bear follows him into the water moments later and a tussle ensues. The man is then seen pushing the bear's head under water and using his weight to keep the animal down. After a minute of struggling, the bear retreats and swims away, allowing the man to jump out of the water and make a run for it.
Zoo spokesperson Ann Karczewska told The Sun the man was fortunate the bear, named Sabina, was the only animal in the enclosure at the time of his stunt.
"Although in good shape for her age, [Sabina] is not such an efficient bear," Karczewska said. "Sabina, an old bear who was attacked by an adult man, physically came out of this event unscathed, but she is very stressed. She used to belong to a circus and is accustomed to the presence of people, but she absolutely did not expect a human attack. After the event, she sat in the water growling nervously until her carers came to look after her."
The man, who has not been identified, was taken into custody shortly after the incident. Karczewska said the zoo will pursue criminal charges "to bring the perpetrator to justice."
You can watch the video below.
