News footage of the wolf enclosure at Hershey”s ZooAmerica park in Hershey, Pa. (WHTH).
A toddler in Pennsylvania experienced minor injuries after reaching into a wolf enclosure at a zoo, while his parents were reportedly preoccupied with their phones.
On Saturday, authorities charged Stephen Wilson, 61, and Carrie Sortor, 43, with a misdemeanor for allegedly neglecting their child’s welfare. The Derry Township Police Department noted that their 17-month-old son found himself “unsupervised” and managed to “squeeze through a small opening in a wooden barrier perimeter fence” at the wolf exhibit at Hershey’s ZooAmerica park in Hershey, Pennsylvania. A wolf, acting on instinct, approached and gently took hold of the boy’s hand, which he had extended through the metal fence surrounding the enclosure.
During this incident, Wilson and Sortor were reportedly seated on a bench, approximately 25 to 30 feet from the wolf exhibit, absorbed in their phones.
The police report indicated that Wilson and Sortor had moved to a seating area nearly 30 feet from the exhibit while their toddler ventured toward the wolves. The couple was engrossed in their phones until startled by a “commotion.”
This disturbance was caused by zoo visitors who intervened to pull the child away from the wolf, according to police.
A spokesperson for Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, speaking to local ABC affiliate WHTH, clarified that the boy was never actually inside the wolf enclosure. The statement emphasized, “Our habitats are designed with multiple layers of protection, including clear signage and barriers to ensure safe viewing. Visitors are expected to stay within designated areas and closely monitor their children at all times.”
Local NBC affiliate WGAL had more of the statement from Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, which said that after reviewing the alleged incident, it was determined that the boy “was able to crawl under an exterior perimeter fence, travel to the primary metal enclosure surrounding the wolf habitat, and put his hand through that fence. A wolf approached and made contact with the child’s hand. This type of response is consistent with natural animal behavior and was not a sign of aggression.”
The spokesperson described the boy’s injuries as minor.
Court dates for Sortor and Wilson were not publicly available.
