Dad of boy clawed by Como Zoo cougar is being investigated

Despite numerous warning signs and barriers, a father lifted his 2-year-old son too close to a cougar at the Como Zoo, leaving the child wounded and the man with his jeans torn by the animal.

Police said Tuesday, they know who the father and son are and that a criminal investigation has been started into the fast-moving drama at the St. Paul zoo late Saturday afternoon.

Witness Jess Tiffany said the cougar was "clearly trying to have some fresh blood. She was poised on getting the kid. It was amazing how fast her paws can move."

On Tuesday afternoon - nearly three full days later -- the man came to authorities and said it was his 2-year-old son who the object of the man-vs.-beast tug of war.

Police said the boy was seen at a hospital Saturday and suffered "superficial" wounds that did not require stitches. He was then released to his father, according to a statement from police, who declined to reveal the names of either the father or the son.

In the meantime, the case is being investigated by police and child-protection officials "as a child maltreatment/endangerment matter," the statement continued.

According to witness accounts, the father lifted the boy over a railing toward the cougar exhibit. One of the zoo's two cougars "pushed through the mesh" fencing and clawed the boy before the father could pull the child away, said zoo spokesman Matt Reinartz.

The cougar "started pulling him in toward the cage. ... Instinctively, I started running toward the cage ... I noticed the other claw swung through the fence and grabbed him. It was all in slow motion. It was really horrifying."

The father started "wrestling with the cougar, trying to pull the kid back and got the boy loose."

As the man turned his back on the cougar, the animal landed one good swipe to the back of his leg. "I could hear the claw tear through the jeans," Tiffany said.

Tiffany said his mother, a nurse who was visiting from out of town, looked over the boy and noticed a puncture wound on his left collar bone, along with numerous scratches.

The father told Tiffany's mother that he was going to take the boy to the hospital, Tiffany said.

There are at least 10 signs in the area warning people to stay off barriers and to stay back a safe distance, Reinartz said.

"When poor decisions are made," he said, "it puts individuals and the animals at risk."

Word of the incident first surfaced Saturday night on a Craigslist chat board:

"I was at Como Zoo today and at 5:30 I heard people say 'OOOOOOOHHHH and Oh NOOOOOOO!' " the posting began. The writer said he saw a man holding a boy, and "the poor kid was just bawling."

The posting said the father had an embarrassed look on his face. "As I walked closer to where the commotion originally came from," the account continued, "I listened to others talk about how the guy held his son over the COUGAR cage and the cougar ran and jumped up and nicked the child's back with his paw ... as the man tried to yank his son away!!!!"

Zoo staff members inspected the area to see whether any safety measures were lacking or whether they were "willfully breached," Reinartz said.

Como is also reviewing safety barriers, its signs and mesh fencing in the area to see whether any changes are needed, he said.

"The railing at the cougar exhibit is 42 inches, which is the same height found at all the exhibits at Como and is the industry standard at other facilities," Reinartz said. "Unfortunately, it seems that this guest felt the need to penetrate a space that is not intended for their use."