Shanghai Zoo compensates woman pushed by crowds

Shanghai Zoo has been ordered to pay 37,900 yuan ($5,973) for a visitor's fracture, after she was injured by a crowded group of visitors near a monkey cage last year, Changing District People's Court said Monday.

During Spring Festival, a visitor surnamed Wang, tripped over a security rope near a crowded monkey cage.

Wang suffered a fracture to her thoracic vertebrae, but the injury was not serious.

Wang sought 109,000 yuan from the zoo to cover medical fees and compensate for emotional distress from the incident, saying that the zoo failed to make sure the rope was properly fixed, and did not have patrol officers to control crowds.

The zoo argued that officers had been on site, however, and said that her injury was caused by pushing from the crowds, and as such, should only be held partially responsible.

The court also ruled that the direct cause of Wang's injury was the pushing from visitors. But since the zoo failed to put up crowd-warning signs and control the crowds, it was determined 40 percent liable for her injury, which was taken into consideration when calculating her compensation.