Parents charged after toddler is injured by wolf at Hersheypark zoo
The Lititz-based parents of a toddler have each been charged with one count of child welfare endangerment after their son crawled under a fence and made contact with a wolf in its enclosure.
A 17-month-old was hurt Saturday after crawling under a fence at Pennsylvania’s Hersheypark zoo and sticking his hand into a wolf enclosure. Now, the boy’s parents face charges.
The child, who has not been publicly identified, was “unsupervised” at ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park, which is inside Hersheypark, a police statement said. His injuries were classified as “minor,” but officials didn’t elaborate.
According to the Derry Township Police Department, the child squeezed through a small opening in a wooden barrier perimeter fence, entering a restricted area. He then reached a metal fence and stuck his hand through it.
That’s when one of the wolves approached and “instinctively and naturally grabbed onto the child’s hand with its mouth.”
“This type of response is consistent with natural animal behavior, and was not a sign of aggression,” a zoo spokesperson said in a statement.
ZooAmerica hosts three gray wolves in its enclosure, according to its website: a male, Twister, born in 2015; and two sisters, Hazel and Freya, born four years later.
“Our habitats are designed with multiple layers of protection, and clear signage and barriers are in place to help ensure safe viewing,” the zoo spokesperson said. “Guests are expected to remain within designated areas and closely supervise children at all times.”
Bystanders reportedly intervened and pulled the child out.
An initial investigation by the police revealed that the toddler’s parents, Carrie B. Sortor, 43, and Stephen J. B. Wilson, 61, both of Lititz, Pa., were about “25 to 30 feet away from the child” and distracted on their phones before noticing the commotion.
According to the police department, each parent has been charged with one count of child welfare endangerment, a misdemeanor.
Court documents show both parents are awaiting a preliminary hearing.
Authorities ask anyone who witnessed the incident, assisted the child, has personal video, or has additional information to contact Sergeant Dennis Eckenrode at 717-534-2202 or daeckenr@derrytownship.org.