The mother of a girl who was bitten by a pig at Tomsk Zoo has filed a formal complaint with Rospotrebnadzor. The claim centers on a lack of clear guidance about animal interactions at the facility and alleges that other children were injured by pigs as well. The account is based on information provided to socialbites.ca and is part of a broader report on safety procedures at the zoo.
According to the mother, visitors were not given any instructions regarding how to interact with the animals or how to keep a safe distance. She described the day as calm until an incident occurred with a pig near a display area. The child, a girl named for safety reasons as Liza, held a cup that contained food she had been offered to feed the animals. There were no visible signs or posted warnings about maintaining a safe distance, which heightened the risk for bystanders, including young children who were nearby at the time. The pig suddenly emerged from the enclosure and grabbed the child’s hand, pulling the cup toward itself. In the scramble that followed, attempts to free the child’s hand failed, and the animal released its grip only after the family began to scream in distress. The mother states that the child was understandably frightened and that the animal backed away, releasing the girl’s hand on its own.
The mother immediately sought medical attention at a local hospital, where the child underwent X-ray imaging. She also asked the zoo management to refund the ticket price, but this request was denied. The injury to the child was described as being accompanied by swelling in the fingers and pain in the hand, even though the child did not sustain severe damage. The family planned follow-up medical consultations with a surgeon to assess ongoing issues and ensure proper treatment for the affected hand.
The mother noted that another parent who had a similar experience with a pig bite at the same zoo contacted the traumatology department. That family also reported a lack of response from zoo staff concerning reimbursement for admission fees. Following this, the mother filed a formal complaint with Rospotrebnadzor to document the incident and seek guidance on safety practices and accountability. She emphasized that the situation could have turned out worse given the size of the pig involved, describing it as a large animal capable of causing serious harm. She also criticized the zoo’s communication and response, stating that management did not engage with her at the time of the incident and did not acknowledge her messages via email. A public post on Tomsk’s social page later drew a response from the zoo’s administration, which issued a brief statement to acknowledge the situation.
Tomsk Zoo, when contacted for comment, indicated that it had apologized to the child’s family via social networks and asserted that the family’s concerns were not misrepresented. The zoo’s statement described the child’s condition as normal and dismissed the incident as not posing any significant danger. The zoo expressed regret for any distress and asserted that safety protocols were in place for all visitors. It also claimed that the management had already provided relevant comments on social media and that the situation was being handled within the framework of standard procedures.
News coverage of the pig attack in Tomsk Zoo circulated through the Telegram channel Region-70 Tomsk, which shared accounts from parents whose children were affected. The posts urged zoo authorities to address the living conditions of the animals and to ensure the safety of visitors, especially families with young children. In response, representatives from Tomsk Zoo reiterated on social networks the importance of adhering to established safety rules and careful supervision of children. They indicated that the pig enclosure’s window would be closed to minimize future hazards and stressed the need for visitors to follow posted rules and to read signage before entering the premises. The zoo’s official statement reiterated: visitors should observe the rules, there are clear signs throughout, and staff preface their visit with a reminder to be vigilant with children.
There are ongoing concerns as the case continues to unfold. Reports from residents in nearby areas mention a pig-and-owner pair that previously caused alarm and was seen back on public streets, contributing to a sense of unease about animal control and animal welfare in the region. The current attention on Tomsk Zoo underscores the broader issue of how such incidents are communicated to the public and how quickly institutions respond to protect visitors while ensuring animal welfare and staff accountability.