A woman from California was hit in the face by a giraffe at a Wisconsin zoo on Saturday afternoon. According to authorities, the incident was triggered by the fact that the woman came too close to the animal.

Amanda Hall, 24, a resident of San Luis Obispo, was reportedly kicked in the face by a giraffe kept at Henry Villas Zoo in Madison. According to the Madison Police, it was Hall who incited the giraffe to react violently against her. Hence, Hall is currently under investigation. Information from the preliminary investigations have placed Hall under suspicion for possibly harassing zoo animals, which subsequently led to the incident. If the charges are proven true, then Hall will have to pay a fine of $686.

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In the reports, officials found that Hall crossed a barricade to be able to gain closer interaction with the animal. She purportedly attempted to get near the pen of the two-year-old giraffe. This too close contact might have incited the anxiety of the animal, which zoo keepers call Wally. In fact, Hall actually succeeded to getting remarkably near Wally-near enough for the giraffe to actually lick her face. However, the seemingly innocent interaction with the animal turned brutal when the 12-foot-tall giraffe turned its back and kicked Hall in the face. Hall's injuries, which were found below her lip, required at least 10 stitches from medical professionals.

Despite her injuries, however, authorities are adamant that Hall's actions constitute an offense pertaining to the harassment of the zoo animals. Police claimed that Hall climbed over a fence and even attempted to ascend another one when the giraffe kicked her. These allegations were refuted by Hall in an interview with The Times.

Hall said that she was able to easily pass the three-foot-high gate-like barricade. She also denied climbing a second fence. According to Hall, the giraffe positioned its head through a gap found in the fence. The animal was said to have even eaten grass out of Hall's hand.

"He had some grass and nuzzled my head," Hall declared during the interview. "He licked me and then I got a kick to the chin. It was a shock."

Despite her shock, Hall clarified that she is not blaming the giraffe for her injuries. She clarified that nobody is to blame for the incident. However, Hall feels mistreated by the reactions and accusations of the authorities. She now plans to fight the allegations.

"I got hit in the face by a giraffe. I had to deal with all that. That was a lot of pain to deal with already.  I don't need a fine and this on my record. I don't 'harass' zoo animals. I'm an animal lover," Hall said.

Prior to returning to her home in California on Monday, Hall shared that she wished to express her apology to the zoo and its keepers. She admits that she was guilty of "stepping over the line.".

"Obviously I won't do it again," Hall said. "The barricade is "there for a reason. I just didn't think twice about it. I just didn't think it was a big deal," she added.

TagsWisconsin, giraffe, kick, Amanda Hall, zoo, Henry Villas Zoo