Bear bites three-year-old girl's arm off in zoo

A three-year-old girl and her family were visiting a zoo in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq, on October 18, when the unthinkable happened: a bear viciously tore her arm off after she put it through the fence.

Local media reported that the girl was rushed to a hospital in Sulaymaniyah to undergo surgery immediately. Photos released by The Sun showed the little girl's white t-shirt to be stained with huge bloodstains. The unnamed girl was shown to be on a trolley with her arm heavily bandaged.

The Mirror reports that officials have ordered the city zoo to temporarily close while investigations are taking place and present safety procedures are being reviewed and improved upon.

Comments and reactions on social media were divided on who was most at fault for the horrific situation. Some think the negligent parents were at fault for allowing the toddler to put her arm through the fence. Others think the zoo's management is to blame for having inadequate safety measures in their animals' enclosures.

In the Ostrava zoo in the Czech Republic, zoogoers were divided after they fed the remains of one of their giraffes to their carnivorous animals, including their lions which they posted online. The post sparked criticism from viewers who were distressed to see the graphic picture. One commenter said, "I do not consider the photo choice the happiest. Maybe some nice snapshot of the same giraffe happily walking around the zoo?"

Another had the same sentiment, "Very sad ... even if it's the law of nature, the photo is out of place..." While others were more appreciative of the zoo's actions and supported their utilization of the giraffe's remains as food for the other animals. One wrote, "This is life, what do you think a lion does for a living?" while another said, "The giraffe lived a good life, even in captivity. It's good that meat was put to use."