Moments from being ripped to pieces by polar bears... during trip to the zoo: Woman's miracle survival after jumping in 'to swim' with the deadly animals, sparking desperate rescue as beast gnawed on her

The buzz of excitement astatine Berlin Zoo was abruptly interrupted by cries of panic and a large scatter arsenic thing dropped into nan moat wrong nan polar carnivore enclosure. 

To nan daze of onlookers that was nan sound of a 32-year-old female who was now wrong nan grounds and swimming towards nan polar bears.

It was a Friday successful Spring 2009, pinch Easter conscionable days away, locals and visitors alike flocked to Berlin Zoo. The crowds were buzzing pinch excitement to spot nan zoo's prima attraction: nan family of 4 polar bears.

It was feeding clip and, arsenic usual, nan bears drew immense crowds arsenic eager spectators gathered astir nan enclosure to drawback a glimpse of nan arctic beasts. However - truthful vulnerable are nan predators - that moreover zookeepers don't participate nan paddock during this time. 

Their nosy time retired astatine nan zoo would soon return a nightmarish move aft a female scaled nan 3 ft perimeter wall and jumped into nan icy h2o below.

Visitors were near horrified to spot nan female now making her measurement towards nan polar bears who were perched connected a rocky land astatine nan centre of nan enclosure. 

For her ill-advised determination nan female would salary a price. 

While astir of nan bears were excessively distracted by their repast 1 of nan bears did spot nan enclosure's visitant and made its measurement towards her earlier lunging successful nan woman's direction. 

Incredible photographs captured nan carnivore arsenic it pounced connected nan woman, biting nan backmost of her neck, pinch nan symptom of nan predator's wound visible connected her contorted face.

Witnesses, including families pinch mini children, were shocked to spot what was unfolding successful beforehand of their eyes pinch galore believing they were astir to spot a personification mauled to death. 

Thankfully earlier a calamity could hap nan female started a frantic unreserved to flight nan enclosure. 

At a steep wall separating nan bears from nan viewing nationalist she was met by zoo keepers who desperately flung life rings towards nan female while others threw nutrient and prodded nan bears to time off nan female alone. 

The heroic efforts of nan zookeepers and nan panicked flight attempts of nan female were captured connected video.

Footage shows nan 32-year-old many times attempting to flight from her predicament by attempting to clamour up nan wall by immoderate intends necessary. 

The panic of her predicament is seemingly ne'er ending arsenic she continuously slips backmost into h2o while 3 of nan 4 bears stitchery astir her.

She comes painstakingly adjacent to being hoisted to information successful a life ringing earlier she plunges backmost into nan water. 

On much than 1 juncture she is pulled backmost down by 1 of nan bears who dives nether nan h2o and grabs nan unfortunate by her backside arsenic it attempts to resistance her away. 

The female is yet dragged to information utilizing a life ringing while zookeepers support nan animals astatine bay by tossing nutrient astatine them. 

Once safely retired of nan water, calmness returns to nan enclosure pinch nan polar bears now surrounded by nan debris of nan tumultuous incident that unfolded. 

The unnamed female was rushed to a adjacent infirmary pinch wounds to her arms, hips, backmost and legs but according to zookeepers she was fortunate to flight pinch her life.

Zoo biologist Heiner Klos told German property astatine nan clip that nan incident could person turned retired 'even much terrible.'

He added: 'our siren strategy worked. Otherwise things would person turned retired severely for nan bear.'

The polar bears were not punished for nan attack. A constabulary spokesperson successful 2009 told Der Spiegel: 'The female jumped successful location carelessly and must logically expect that big polar bears do specified things.'

This was not nan first clip a visitant had dived into nan enclosure. In 2008, a 37-year-old man climbed into nan enclosure holding nan babe polar carnivore Knut. The two-year-old Knut was a world personage aft becoming nan first polar carnivore to beryllium calved and past infancy astatine nan zoo successful complete 30 years. 

The man climbed into nan paddock because he thought Knut was 'lonely.' However, earlier he could get immoderate person to nan animal, zookeepers noticed nan intruder and lured Knut into a lockable area pinch a portion of meat. The man escaped unharmed.

Despite these intrusion into nan paddock, Berlin Zoo has resisted calls summation nan tallness of nan actual wall surrounding nan exhibit.

Instead, nan Zoo insisted those who want to jump successful 'will ever find a way.'