A woman who went for a jog in a driving-only safari section of a zoo park to the west of Paris was attacked by wolves Sunday and left with serious injuries.
The incident took place at the Thoiry zoo, 25 miles west of Paris, according to French media reports.
The 37-year-old woman from Paris, who has not been identified, was mauled by three wolves and bitten in the back, calf and neck, French broadcaster TF1 reported. She was rushed to hospital but her condition has stabilized, the broadcaster added.
The mauling victim spent the night prior to the attack at the zoo’s visitor accommodation and appears to have been attacked when she entered an area of the reserve only accessible by car and off-limits to pedestrians, the local channel reported. She was found by the zoo keepers, who heard her screams.
An investigation into the accident has been launched, according to the French media.
Christelle Bercheny, President of the Wow Safari Thoiry group, said in a news briefing Sunday that the woman entered a zone where electrical barriers prevent animals from leaving, but don’t impede humans from getting in, according to reporting from the Le Parisien newspaper.
Visitors have “all the information” on the dangerousness of this area, and are given constant reminders, Bercheny added, noting that an internal investigation has also been launched.
The woman was staying at the safari park with her mother and baby, Le Parisien said. NBC News has reached out to the zoo and national police for comment about the incident, but has not heard back.
On its website, the zoo says that it offers a safari “40 minutes from the Parisian jungle,” covering 90 hectares (around 222 acres) and is home to more than 750 animals, including Arctic wolves, native to northern Canada.
The reserve offers open-air dining surrounded by wild animals and “immersive” experiences where people can stay overnight. That includes lodges where visitors have “the opportunity to relax and live a unique experience in complete privacy with the Arctic wolves that you can observe night and day from your living room.”
