Stephen Wilson and Carrie Sortor, a couple from Pennsylvania, have been charged with endangering the welfare of a child after their 17-month-old son was injured by a wolf at ZooAmerica in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The incident occurred when the toddler wandered unsupervised and stuck his hand through a fence in the wolf enclosure.
Incident Details
According to the Derry Township Police Department, the toddler squeezed through a small opening in a wooden barrier perimeter fence surrounding the wolf exhibit. The boy, who was not being supervised by his parents, placed his hand through the metal fence around the enclosure. A wolf approached and instinctively took the boy’s hand in its mouth, causing minor injuries.
At the time of the incident, Wilson and Sortor were sitting on a bench 25 to 30 feet away from the enclosure, allegedly distracted by their cellphones. They did not notice their child wandering toward the exhibit until a commotion from bystanders alerted them. The commotion was due to other zoo visitors pulling the child away from the wolf.
Zoo’s Statement
A spokesperson for Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, which operates ZooAmerica, clarified that the boy was never inside the wolf enclosure. In a statement, they explained that the zoo’s habitats are designed with multiple layers of protection, including clear signage and barriers to ensure the safety of guests.
The spokesperson confirmed that after reviewing the incident, it was determined that the boy crawled under the exterior perimeter fence and reached the primary metal enclosure surrounding the wolf habitat. The wolf’s contact with the boy’s hand was described as “instinctive and natural” behavior, not aggression. The boy’s injuries were deemed minor.
Legal Charges and Investigation
Wilson, 61, and Sortor, 43, were charged with a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child. Court dates for the couple have not been made publicly available. The investigation is ongoing, and police continue to review the circumstances surrounding the incident.
