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A young child was hurt by a wolf at a Pennsylvania zoo while their parents reportedly focused on their cell phones, neglecting their supervision duties.
According to a press release from the Derry Township Police Department, Carrie B. Sortor and Stephen J. B. Wilson are facing charges of endangering the welfare of children, a first-degree misdemeanor, following an incident on April 4 at ZooAmerica in Hershey.
Currently, it remains uncertain how Sortor and Wilson will plead, and attempts to reach their attorney for comment were unsuccessful, as reported by Oxygen.
The police release claims that Sortor and Wilson left their 17-month-old child “unsupervised” near the wolf exhibit. They allegedly walked about 30 feet away to a rest station, absorbed in their phones.
The toddler reportedly managed to “squeeze through a small opening in a wooden barrier perimeter fence and entered a restricted area near the wolf exhibit,” eventually reaching the primary metal fence enclosure. The child is said to have inserted their hand through the metal fence, prompting a wolf to “instinctively and naturally” grab it with its mouth, resulting in injuries.
Several onlookers helped pull the toddler away, according to the release, with the commotion allegedly capturing the attention of the child’s parents.
The wolf’s response was “consistent with natural animal behavior, and was not a sign of aggression,” a zoo spokesperson told Oxygen, “The child was never inside the wolf’s enclosure, and we are relieved the injuries were minor.”
The spokesperson added, “Our habitats are designed with multiple layers of protection, and clear signage and barriers are in place to help ensure safe viewing. Guests are expected to remain within designated areas and closely supervise children at all times.”
ZooAmerica is home to three gray wolves named Twister, Hazel and Freya, according to its website, members of a species with a distinctive howl that can be heard for up to six miles.
Police are asking anyone who witnessed or recorded the incident or helped the child to call Sergeant Dennis Eckenrode at 717-534-2202 or email daeckenr@derrytownship.org.