Police: Woman tries to pet tiger at the Omaha Zoo, gets bitten

OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha police say a tiger bit an apparently intoxicated woman who broke into a Nebraska zoo to pet a big cat.

Officer James Shade says the 33-year-old woman suffered a severe hand injury in the incident at the Omaha Zoo early Sunday.

Shade say officers were called to the Creighton University Medical Center around 7:20 a.m. after the injured woman showed up. He says she was acting aggressively and appeared to be intoxicated.

Police determined she snuck into the zoo and was bitten when she reached into the tiger exhibit.

The zoo said in a statement that it was likely an 18-year-old Malayan tiger called Mai bit the woman, and asserted that safety and security are priorities at the zoo.

The woman was cited for criminal trespass.

This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 6:50 AM with the headline "Police: Woman tries to pet tiger at the Omaha Zoo, gets bitten."