El Paso law firm fires employee seen in video jumping into monkey habitat at zoo

A Texas law firm said it has fired a female employee after a video surfaced showing her jumping into a monkey habitat at the El Paso Zoo, KVIA reported on Monday. 

The Lovett Law Firm told the ABC affiliate that Lucy Rae was a litigation assistant in its personal injury division.

El Paso zookeeper Mason Kleist told KVIA that Rae endangered herself and the two spider monkeys in the habitat. 

“These are primates we’re talking about, they could do some substantial damage to you,” Kleist told the station. “They may be small … but they can take you to the ground if they wanted to.”

Kleist said that feeding the monkeys could have endangered them by disrupting their diet.

El Paso police said there was the potential for charges to be filed against Rae, KVIA reported. The zoo director also said they planned to press charges against the woman.