Two jaguars attackd a three-year-old boy at an Arkansas zoo, leaving him in critical condition, according to a hospital spokesman, ABC News reported.
The child fell into the jaguar exhibit at the zoo and the cats proceeded to be maul him Friday, according to THV11, a CBS affiliate.
One jaguar took the child by the neck while the other took hold of the child's foot, ABC reported. The incident occurred at the Little Rock Zoo where the child visited with his grandparents.
The child suffered extensive scalp lacerations, a depressed skull fracture and several puncture wounds, the police report quoted a doctor at Arkansas Children's Hospital at Little Rock as saying, though the wounds did not appear to be life-threatening, according to ABC.
The boy's grandparents said they threw a camera bag and some other items at the jaguars, causing them to drop the child, according to the police report, ABC reported.
Zoo employees entered the exhibit and used fire extinguishers to keep the jaguars back until the boy was rescued and removed from the exhibit area, according to ABC.
Authorities were still figuring out how the child fell into one of the zoo's most popular exhibit, ABC reported. The jaguar exhibit is currently closed to the public due to further review of the incident, according to a zoo spokeswoman.
"We respect the wishes of the child's guardian who asked that the child's name and any additional information not be shared at this time," said Dan McFadden, the hospital's director of communications, according to ABC.
