Parents face child endangerment charge after their kid suffered a minor injury at ZooAmerica in Hersheypark
The parents of a toddler who suffered a minor injury at a Pennsylvania theme park zoo after squeezing through a fence near a wolf enclosure and making contact with one of the animals have been charged with endangering the welfare of children, with police accusing them of paying attention to their cellphones at the time.
In a news release, police said that the parents both walked about 25ft to 30ft (7.5 meters to 9 meters) away from the child to a seating area with benches and appeared to be paying attention to their cellphones when they noticed what was happening Saturday at ZooAmerica in Hersheypark.
The child went through a small opening in a wooden barrier perimeter fence and entered a restricted area near the wolf exhibit, the Derry Township police said. The child reached a primary metal fence enclosure and was hurt after placing a hand through that fencing.
“From the injuries sustained, it appears as though one of the wolves in the enclosure instinctively and naturally grabbed on to the child’s hand with its mouth,” the police news release said. “Several bystanders intervened and helped pull the child away.”
