HERSHEY, PA — A young boy was slightly injured by a wolf at a Pennsylvania Zoo after he crawled under a fence and stuck his hand into the animal’s enclosure, zoo officials confirmed Sunday.
The child has never been inside the wolf habitat at the North American Wildlife Park, which is part of the Hersheypark amusement parkOfficials described the injuries as minor, without elaborating.
After the “unsupervised” child reached the metal fence around the wolves’ habitat Saturday morning and passed his hand, the wolf approached and “made contact with the child’s hand,” according to a statement from the zoo.
“This type of response is consistent with normal animal behavior and was not a sign of aggression,” the zoo said in a statement. “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 part of an entertainment complex in Hershey, Pennsylvania, featuring a chocolate-themed amusement park. Zoo Website She says she has three gray wolves.
The city of Hersheypark made headlines last summer when a lost boy wandered onto a monorail line above a crowd of people Saved By a park visitor who climbed one of the buildings and jumped on the rails. The child was not injured and was reunited with his family.