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Parents Charged After Toddler Hurt Reaching Into Wolf Exhibit at Hershey’s ZooAmerica

Police say video shows the toddler slipped past an outer barrier at Hershey’s ZooAmerica.

Overview

  • Officials charged the Lititz, Pennsylvania, parents with misdemeanor child endangerment after Saturday’s incident at ZooAmerica in Hershey.
  • Police say the 17-month-old crawled under a wooden perimeter barrier into a restricted zone and put a hand through the primary metal fence.
  • Investigators report the parents sat 25 to 30 feet away looking at their phones as a wolf grabbed the child’s hand and bystanders pulled the toddler back.
  • Authorities say the injuries were minor and the child was never inside the enclosure, and the zoo calls the wolf’s response natural animal behavior.
  • Court records set a preliminary hearing for April 28, and police asked witnesses or anyone with video to contact investigators.