Mother Charged with Attempted Murder After Dropping 3-Year-Old Daughter into Bear Enclosure at Zoo

A woman in Uzbekistan is charged with attempted murder after dropping her 3-year-old daughter in the bear pit at the Tashkent Zoo on Friday.

CCTV footage released by the zoo and obtained by the New York Post shows the mother dangling her child over the metal railing before dropping her 16-feet into the enclosure.

The video shows the 550-pound Syrian Brown Bear named Zuzu gently sniffing the child before walking away. Six zoo officials were able to lure Zuzu into a different part of the enclosure as another employee carried the toddler out.

The woman, who has not been named but has been identified as the child’s mother, faces 15 years in prison if convicted. According to Newsweek, the child suffered a head injury but remains in stable condition. The Tashkent Zoo is covering all of the 3-year-old’s medical bills in relation to this incident.

The mother’s motive remains unclear.