A concerning incident unfolded at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania when a young child’s hand ended up in a wolf’s mouth, while the child’s parents were reportedly preoccupied with their mobile phones.
The 17-month-old managed to navigate through a minor gap in a wooden barrier, entering a prohibited zone adjacent to the wolf exhibit on Saturday, as per information from the Derry Township Police Department.
The injury occurred when the child extended their hand through the metal fencing, law enforcement officials noted in a statement.
The police described the wolf’s action as a natural and instinctive reaction to grab the child’s hand, stopping short of labeling it as a bite.
Witnesses quickly intervened, preventing further harm by pulling the toddler away from the enclosure.
The parents, identified as Carrie B. Sortor, 43, and Stephen J. B. Wilson, 61, from Lititz, now face charges of misdemeanor child endangerment, filed on Sunday.
The couple had walked about 25 to 30 feet away from the toddler to a bench area and appeared to be focused on their cellphones, police said.
Hersheypark, which includes the 11–acre ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park home to more than 200 animals, is about 100 miles west of Philadelphia.
A 17-month-old child’s hand was ‘instinctively and naturally grabbed’ onto by a wolf at the Hersheypark zoo in Pennsylvania while his parents were allegedly distracted by their phones
ZooAmerica said that its wolves can be difficult to notice for visitors, noting on its website that ‘you might mistake a wolf for a rock’
The zoo said that the wolf’s response to the toddler putting their hand through the metal fencing had been ‘consistent with natural animal behavior, and was not a sign of aggression’
Police said the couple’s charges were decided in consultation with the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office.
The zoo confirmed that a wolf had ‘approached and made contact with the child’s hand,’ according to USA TODAY.
‘This type of response is consistent with natural animal behavior, and was not a sign of aggression,’ the zoo added, per the outlet.
ZooAmerica said that the incident had been reviewed, finding that the child had never been inside the wolf’s enclosure.
Their injuries were described as minor. No further details have been provided as to the nature by either police or the zoo.
After the incident, ZooAmerica noted that their ‘highest priorities’ were the safety and well–being of its visitors and families.
However, the zoo also said that visitors were expected to ‘remain within designated areas and closely supervise children at all times.’
‘Our habitats are designed with multiple layers of protection, and clear signage and barriers are in place to help ensure safe viewing,’ the zoo said.
There are three gray wolves at the Hersheypark zoo. Their carnivorous diets include elk, deer, bison, and moose, and caribou but also smaller animals like beavers and rabbits
ZooAmerica said visitors were expected to ‘remain within designated areas and closely supervise children at all times’
Hersheypark’s ZooAmerica is located about 100 miles west of Philadelphia and features three gray wolves among its more than 200 animals
There are three gray wolves at the Hersheypark zoo, according to its website.
The zoo notes that gray wolves are carnivores whose diet includes elk, deer, bison, and moose, and caribou.
Other smaller animals, such as beavers and rabbits, are also eaten by the predator.
Additionally, ZooAmerica said that its three wolves can be particularly difficult to notice for visitors.
‘Our wolves are well–camouflaged and you might mistake a wolf for a rock,’ its website said.
In total, the pack consists of one male, Twister, born in 2015, and two sisters, Hazel and Freya, born four years later.
The Daily Mail has reached out to ZooAmerica, the Derry Township Police Department and the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office for further comment.
