During a visit to the Baton Rouge Zoo last year, a 2-year-old girl had her finger nearly chomped off by a bird, according to a lawsuit filed in 19th Judicial District Court.

The child's parents, Jessi and Urian “Ryan” Clements, are now suing for damages and medical expenses in a complaint that lists the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge, or BREC, as a primary defendant. The pair lodged the court claim Jan. 25, the last day before the end of the one-year prescriptive period for the lawsuit to be filed.

According to the tort, the toddler visited the zoo, at 3601 Thomas Road in Baker, on Jan. 26, 2022. A free-roaming bird, which appeared to be a great egret, approached the child as her nanny pushed her stroller through an enclosed bird sanctuary marked open to the public, attorneys said.

“Suddenly and without warning, the bird bit (the child’s) finger down to the tendon, nearly severing the digit,” the lawsuit alleges.

The bite wound passed the first knuckle on the child’s left long finger, causing a severe laceration down to the tendon, according to the complaint. Doctors managed to re-stitch the finger, plaintiff attorney Collins Meredith said. But the toddler was unable to use her left hand for several months after undergoing surgery. It still remains unclear if she suffered nerve damage, the attorney indicated, but the mental effects are already evident.

“Anything and everything that’s an animal, she’s petrified of it, which is so sad,” Meredith said Thursday. “The effect was pretty traumatic on her.”

In addition to BREC, which owns and operates the zoo, the Clements are suing the BREC Foundation, a nonprofit organization tied to the park commission, and an unidentified employee who managed the zoo’s bird sanctuary.

The Clements argue BREC is liable for its employee’s failure to keep their daughter safe in the bird enclosure, alleging their negligence led to her injury. Attorneys said several birds were allowed to roam free as guests walked through the area.

“BREC … should have known that the large birds in the aviary as well as the particular bird at issue posed a danger to patrons invited into the aviary, but failed to take appropriate and reasonable steps to warn of and protect from those dangers,” the complaint states.

Attorneys note the toddler’s nanny was unaware of any threats as she walked through the aviary because it was presented as a safe environment. Attorneys for BREC have not yet filed a response to the court claim. Agency officials declined to comment on the case Thursday due to the ongoing litigation.

Meredith stressed the need for prominent caution postings around the bird cages to protect patrons.

“I think there need to be signs up warning people, and they need to be more visible to make it really clear that this is a potential issue,” he said. “Or keep the animals confined in an area where they can’t get to people, like the lawsuit says. Either one of those would solve the problem, but at a very minimum, give greater warning.”