Zoo seeking charges against man who climbed fence into tiger enclosure

ST. LOUIS (KMOV/Gray News) — A man climbed into the tiger enclosure at the Saint Louis Zoo over the weekend.

The incident happened Saturday.

The man was seen climbing over a barrier fence at the exhibit. A zoo visitor captured the moment on video.

“So there’s a guy in the tiger enclosure, and he says that he works here, but I don’t think that he does,” the visitor said in the video posted to TikTok.

Zoo officials said the man never encountered any of the animals, and security was on the scene within minutes. The zoo’s security staff took the man into custody and then turned him over to police.

The Saint Louis Zoo said it is grateful that no people or animals were injured.

In a statement to KMOV, the zoo said it is deciding “what modifications might need to be made so that similar situations don’t happen in the future.”

On Monday, zoo staff members appeared to be taking photos and measurements of the area where the man was seen climbing out of the exhibit.

The Saint Louis Zoo declined to discuss specific safety measures it is considering or any changes to the enclosure.

The Saint Louis Zoo is looking to press charges against the man. A spokesperson with the St. Louis Police Department said the man has not been publicly identified, and no charges have been filed.

Police are still investigating.