MIAMI (WSVN) - A volunteer for Jungle Island had to be taken to the hospital after she was bitten on the hand while she worked with an orangutan.
The victim was seen conscious and alert with her hand held above her head as she arrived at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Wednesday, at around 3 p.m.
Jungle Island issued the following statement regarding the incident:
“An experienced volunteer working with our orangutan enrichment program received a non-life threatening injury as a result of an orangutan around 3 p.m. today, January 9, 2019. The internal emergency response team at Jungle Island and primate keepers were swift to respond to the aid of the volunteer who has been transported to the hospital.”
One witness, Mariana Ary, said, “It was something she’s used to do. I think the orangutan pressed his finger against his forehead and she kept talking to the orangutan saying, ‘Please relieve my finger,’ and I think 30 minutes or 25 after he released and then he bite her finger.”
“Our primate keepers and emergency response team stepped into action, and she was transported by Miami Fire Rescue to Jackson Memorial Hospital,” Jungle Island Managing Director Christopher Gould said.
Guests at the park also rushed to help the volunteer.
“We called someone to help, because we could see that it was getting black,” Ary said, “the finger, because it was pressed by the orangutan.”
According to officials, the park is back open as they conduct an internal investigation for the cause of the incident.
“Animals are animals, but animals can do these kind of things,” said Ary.
It’s unclear what will happen to the orangutan.
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