COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A man fell into an enclosure at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio Thursday afternoon.
The zoo said at about noon, the man fell 12-15 feet off a protective handrail near the Watering Hole in the Heart of Africa section during a cheetah run presentation. He landed behind a safety barrier and was conscious when zoo safety teams reached him.
Across the safety barrier was Adrienne, a 3.5-year-old female cheetah, who was with her trainer in the Watering Hole. The zoo said Adrienne “took notice” of the man but stayed with her trainer and was immediately secured.
At the beginning of the cheetah run presentation, a zoo employee noticed a teenager in a tree behind the safety barrier. It was after the employee asked the teen to get out of the tree that the man fell, according to the zoo.
Liberty Township Fire Battalion Chief Brian Niemet said the man did not appear to have serious injuries or broken bones, but medics transported him to Riverside Methodist Hospital out of an abundance of caution. Niemet said the two guests’ climbs seem unrelated.
All areas of the zoo remain open, the zoo said.
Kyle Beachy contributed to this report.