This Morning a US news article spoke of a ten year old American boy who was attacked by a wild cat while on vacation in Belize. According to the article, the young boy, along with his parents, visited the Belize Zoo, which is where the incident occurred. He reached out over the fence of an ocelot, known locally as a "tiger-cat". The child was trying to touch the animal's fur when it turned around and clamped its jaws on the little boy's fingers and, as the article stated, would not let go until pried away. Today we contacted the Belize Zoo and while we could not reach the person in charge, we spoke to one of their employees who confirmed that "something like that did happen". He told us, however, that ocelots are caged in electric fences, as are all their animals, and are not allowed any interactions with the public. The little boy, he said, petted the animal on his own accord, contrary to the rules of the zoo. Meanwhile, the child has told US media that he is trying to raise monies to assist the Belize Zoo to make it safer for children.

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O.C. Boy Attacked by Ocelot on Vacation in Belize


Ronald Altender, 10, is receiving treatment at Children's Hospital Orange County.

A young boy was recovering at a local hospital on Friday after he was attacked by an Ocelot while on vacation in Central America.

Ronald Altender, 10, was on vacation with his family in Belize when they stopped to visit a zoo.

Ronald reached out to pet the wild cat behind a fence, and that's when his mother said she heard screaming.

"I just lightly touched the fur that was over the fence and it bit my thumb and pulled on it," Ronald said.

"I heard, 'Mommy! Mommy! Help me!'" Holly Altender said.

"The cat just pulled the arm through the fence and got ahold of his finger, and it would not release," she said.

Ronald was rushed to a hospital, and is now receiving additional treatment at Children's Hospital Orange County.

Despite the incident, he said he is not afraid of cats, and he even wants to raise money to make the zoo safer for other kids.

Anyone who wants to donate to the animal sanctuary can visit: www.belizezoo.org.

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