HERSHEY, Pa. — Parents are facing charges after their child was bitten by a wolf in an enclosure at a Pennsylvania zoo.
The family was at ZooAmerica in Hershey, Pennsylvania, when the 17-month-old crawled through a fence meant to keep visitors out of the enclosures, WHTM reported.
The child then put his arm through a chainlink fence and was “attacked by a wolf” that “instinctively and naturally grabbed onto the child’s hand with its mouth,” court documents state.
The toddler was not inside the wolf’s enclosure, NBC News reported.
The child was rescued by bystanders who pulled the child from the animal. The child’s parents were between 25 and 30 feet away and on their cellphones, Derry Township Police said.
The toddler had minor injuries, WPVI reported.
The parents, Carrie Sortor and Stephen Wilson, are facing misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of children.
Hershey Entertainment and Resorts issued a statement after the incident saying that habitats have layers of protection and barriers to keep parkgoers safe.
“The safety of our guests and the wellbeing of our animals are always our highest priorities,” the statement said, according to WHTM. “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.”
The zoo is home to three wolves, a male named Twister and two females, Házel and Freya, according to the company’s website.
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