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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Woman mauled at Berlin Zoo

Polar bear attack

BERLIN — A woman who climbed a fence, a row of prickly hedges and a wall to jump into the polar bear enclosure at the Berlin Zoo at feeding time has miraculously survived after being pulled out of the moat.

The 32-year-old German woman was seriously injured, bitten on her legs and arms, after one of the four polar bears in the enclosure dived into the water and attacked her. Keepers distracted the bears as they tossed rescue rings to the woman before hoisting her out the moat.

It is not known why the woman jumped in. “Logic tells us that polar bears will do this type of thing in this situation,” said a police spokesman.

The bears in the enclosure — included Knut, the 2-year-old celebrity that was born in the zoo and reared by a keeper.

In December, keepers used chunks of meat to divert the bears after a man climbed in. He later said he was lonely.

AGENCIES

From TODAY, World – Monday, 13-April-2009

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