Jaguar attacks woman after she steps into enclosure for photo

'Not a wild animal's fault when barriers are crossed,' says zoo

A jaguar in Arizona has attacked a woman who jumped over a barrier and entered the animal's enclosure to take a photo, a zoo has confirmed.

Eyewitnesses reported that the visitor crossed the barriers on Saturday evening and was attacked by the jaguar at the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park in Litchfield Park.

The woman sustained non-life threatening injuries to her arm, a spokesperson for the zoo said.

"At the request of the family, paramedics were called," the zoo's statement added.

"At no time was the animal out of its enclosure."

Adam Wilkerson, an eyewitness who was at the zoo when the incident took place, described the scene as "pandemonium".

He said he was visiting the park when he heard a woman screaming and saw the jaguar's claws on her hand, according to ABC 15.

“It seems like pandemonium. Everyone yelling for help," he wrote in a Reddit post.

On Twitter, the zoo said the animal would not be put down.

"We can promise you nothing will happen to our jaguar," a spokesperson said.

"She’s a wild animal and there were proper barriers in place to keep our guests safe- not a wild animal's fault when barriers are crossed."

The zoo is investigating the incident.