Did headbutt from petting zoo cow seriously injure South Jersey teen? What a suit claims

A South Jersey teen says a cow selfie gone awry had led to two years of pain.

Now, the girl — who was 14 at the time — and her family want Cape May County and the county zoo to pay for medical expenses related to the November 2021 incident.

According to a lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Cape May County in early November, the girl was in the Cape May County Park Zoo's animal petting area with Jilly the cow. Jilly was “known … to the public as a friendly petting and feeding attraction,” according to the suit.

More: Wawa stores open and close, changing South Jersey's landscape

The Pittsgrove, Salem County teen was trying to get a picture with Jilly when the Holstein “violently and aggressively swung its head,” hitting the girl, the suit alleges.

The girl was thrown to the ground as her head snapped back, the suit claims, causing serious injuries.

Jilly is nearly 11 years old and has been a popular attraction at the zoo for many years.

The primary argument in the suit, filed by attorney Victoria S. Kavanagh, of the Millville-based Kavanagh and Kavanagh firm, is that the zoo didn’t do enough to warn zoo-goers that interactions with Jilly could be dangerous and staff should have done more to keep the public from harm.

The zoo “failed to adequately maintain the premises in a safe condition, permitted the (teen girl) and the public to be in proximity of a dangerous condition, and were otherwise negligent,” the suit argues.

The teen’s injuries have kept her from “attending to her usual and customary duties,” over the past two years, the suit claims, and will likely continue to impact her life.

The teen’s family is seeking damages, legal fees and an undetermined monetary award.

The county has not yet responded to the lawsuit.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Cape May County and zoo face suit over teen's claim cow injured her