Michigan woman blames zoo for losing a finger when she tried to pet a caged lion

Renae Ferguson claims a worker let her into the lion's cage where she was bitten

Said she plans to seek legal action because she was not properly protected

Zoo officials claim she snuck into the cage despite being told not to and ignored warning signs

A Michigan woman says she'll sue a zoo for not taking enough steps to protect her after she had a bit of her right, middle finger bit off while trying to pet a lion.

Renae Ferguson was visiting the Sunrise Side Nature Trail and Exotic Park outside of East Tawas this Saturday when she she says a worker let herself and daughter Tina Dobson into a lion's cage.



'I put my hand down there to pet it and it ripped my finger,' Ferguson told WNEM.



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Renae Ferguson was visiting the Sunrise Side Nature Trail and Exotic Park outside of East Tawas this Saturday when she she says a worker let herself and daughter Tina Dobson into a lion's cage

Dobson said the lion bit off part of her right middle finger when she went to touch it

'I was in total shock,' she said. 'I really didn't believe that was part of my finger laying on the ground.'



She claims that the owners were more worried about their reputation than her well-being.

'They just told me not to tell. They told me to lie,' she said.



Ferguson said she plans take legal action.



While she doesn't want the zoo to go out of business, she believes they must prevent another person from being attacked.



'They are beautiful, but don't do it,' she said.

Zoo officials said Ferguson snuck into the lion's enclosure despite being told not to and ignoring warning signs

Daughter Dobson backed her mother's account, telling reporters: 'I would like like to see more precautions taken to protect the people as well as the animals.'

But zoo officials say there are already multiple warning and bite signs posted, and that Ferguson actually snuck into the restricted area after staff told her not to do it.