Woman licked then kicked in face by giraffe after climbing over fence at zoo

A Californian woman had a close encounter with a giraffe at a Wisconsin zoo on Saturday afternoon.

Amanda Hall, of San Luis Obispo, climbed into the giraffe’s pen at the Henry Villas Zoo in Madison.


YouTube link.

Hall, 24, climbed over one fence and was partially through a second fence that surrounds the giraffe exhibit when Wally, a two-year-old, 12-foot-tall giraffe, first licked Hall's face, and then turned and kicked her in the face. Hall sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Zoo staff advised that giraffes are capable of killing lions, and that Hall was lucky not to have been more seriously injured. Hall was cited for Harassment of Zoo Animals, which carries a $686 fine. Hall told police officers that she climbed into the exhibit area because she loves giraffes.