COLUMBUS – A man is recovering after Columbus Zoo and Aquarium officials say he from a handrail at the Heart of Africa exhibit Thursday.
They say the man was standing on the rail when he fell approximately 12 to 15 feet into an area behind a safety barrier that was not in a space shared with animals and was conscious when safety teams arrived to help him.
A 3-year-old female cheetah named Adrienne was with her trainer in the Watering Hole area and took notice of the man’s cries for help but remained with her trainer, zoo officials said.
The incident happened just after noon, when the man climbed to the top of a 42-inch protective handrail near the Watering Hole.
Zoo personnel immediately responded and the man was taken was transported to a local hospital conscious and alert, zoo officials said.
The Watering Hole is an area where the Cheetah Run presentations are held and other animals in the Heart of Africa region graze and gather throughout the day.
Earlier, a zoo staff member saw a teenager in a nearby tree located behind a protective barrier in the center area of the boardwalk and an employee made a safety announcement, telling the teenage guest to get out of the tree.