This is the shocking moment a reckless tourist climbs into the hyena enclosure at a zoo in Taiwan.

The visitor ignored warning signs at Taipei Municipal Zoo and was already straddling the partition when an onlooker shouted at him on January 25.

Footage shows the holidaymaker with half his body one step inside the hyena's den.

A father walking with his family on the other side of the zoo shouted to stop him, and he immediately pulled out of the enclosure.

Avery Chang, the wife of the man who shouted at the intruder, said: 'We came to the zoo and saw the man who tried to cross the fence to see the hyenas closer.

'My husband called out to him. Others reminded him about it, but he did not listen. There were kids around that time, and he was setting a bad example.'

The incident was reported to the zoo management afterwards.

Taipei Municipal Zoo director Weng Shaoyi said: 'Spotted hyenas are ferocious carnivores and relatively dangerous. We have electric lines to prevent them from wandering out.'

The director added they had a similar case last year, which was handed over to police for investigation.

Director Weng said: 'Teasing the hyena is very bad behaviour. Please report to our staff members immediately so we can assist.'

Although rare, hyenas may attack humans if they perceive them as vulnerable prey, such as children or sleeping individuals.

Zoos typically use high fences, deep moats, or reinforced glass barriers to ensure visitors are safe and hyenas cannot escape.