Photo: Tashkent Zoo
How could a mother do this to her own child?
By Isaac Serna-Diez — Written on Feb 01, 2022
A mom in Uzbekistan has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly throwing her 3-year-old daughter into an animal enclosure at the Tashkent Zoo.
The child fell 16 feet below the railing into the bear pit where she suffered injuries from the fall but was mostly left alone by the bear.
Video footage caught the mother throw the child into the bear enclosure.
Security camera footage captured the chilling moment as the mother held onto her daughter — who is on the other side of the guardrail — before dropping her into the pit.
Zuzu, the large Syrian Brown Bear, rushed over to the child who fell, sniffed it, and walked away, according to a report from East2West News.
Fortunately, due to quick thinking from the zookeepers, they lured Zuzu over to another side of the enclosure before six staff members ran to the child’s aid and carried her away.
Although Zuzu seemed disinterested in the child, she suffered a head injury and several cuts that are currently being treated at a local hospital while the mother is investigated.
If convicted, the mother could face up to 15 years in prison for the attempted murder of her daughter.
“A young woman threw a little girl down into a brown bear’s enclosure, in front of all the visitors. It was completely unclear what her motive was,” a zoo spokeswoman said.
“Both the visitors and the staff of the zoo were trying to stop her but failed,” she said. “We are scared to even think how this would end if the bear were to react at the toddler as its prey.”
The zoo released a statement about the situation on their Facebook page and highlighted Zuzu’s character in the post, claiming that he’s a calm predator.
"This incident clearly showed that our bear Zuzu is a calm predator who is not angry with people," the zoo said in a statement.
"We would also like to highlight the fact that our staff treated the captive predator correctly and as a result of their kind and caring attitude towards the bear."
At the hospital, the child was assessed and remains in intensive care with a concussion that is being observed, but otherwise, her condition is stable.
"The girl is in a good mood, she is reciting poems to the nurses and cheering them up, and we, in turn, made her happy with gifts," a zoo official wrote. "In addition, we decided to give the girl and her brother free access to the Tashkent Zoo for life."
In addition to that statement, they also announced that they would be covering the girl’s medical expenses for her unfortunate visit.
Many of the zoogoers and staff are shocked by how this could have happened and how the mother could do such a thing, but their quick thinking and kind attitude has shone through and is greatly appreciated.
Isaac Serna-Diez is a writer who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics. Follow him on Twitter here.