Rhianna Benson
The parents of a 17-month-old boy are being charged with child endangerment after he poked his hand through the fence of a wolf enclosure.
Carrie B. Sortor and Stephen J. B. Wilson took their son to visit Zoo America North American Wildlife Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Saturday (4 Apr).
According to a spokesperson for Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, the child had been unsupervised as he approached the exterior perimeter fence of a cage inhabited by three wolves, named Twister, Hazel and Freya.
After crawling under the outer fence on his hands and knees, the toddler made his way to the primary metal enclosure that surrounds the entire habitat.
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Several seconds later, a wolf approached the child, who stuck his hand through the fence.
Then, the animal 'made contact with the child's hand', an official statement from the facility claims.
Derry Township Police Department, who've since charged Lititz locals Sortor, 43, and Wilson, 61, with one count of endangering the welfare of children, reported that numerous bystanders had rushed over to pull him away, having noticed his hand in the wolf's mouth.
Representatives of the 11-acre animal park insisted, however: "This type of response is consistent with natural animal behaviour and was not a sign of aggression. The child was never inside the wolf's enclosure, and we are relieved the injuries were minor."
They added that, though safety within the facility is the 'highest priority' for employees, visitors were also responsible for remaining 'within designated areas' of the park, and for 'closely supervising 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's statement continued.
Police allege that Sortor and Wilson had 'walked about 25 to 30 feet away from the child to a seating area with benches' in the minutes prior, and were using their mobile phones when their son made his way to the enclosure.
Bystanders are also being urged to come forward with any video evidence they may have maintained from the scene of the incident, or information they believe might be important to the case.