Toddler wounded by wolf in Hersheypark's zoo as parents absorbed by phones

A toddler was injured by a wolf after the little tot crawled into a restricted area of Hersheypark’s ZooAmerica in Pennsylvania while the toddler’s parents were too busy on their phones, according to police.  

The toddler’s hand was caught in a wolf’s mouth, but luckily suffered only minor injuries, as the animal was using what a zoo spokesperson called “investigatory behavior” through “mouthing” and was not on the attack.

The 17-month-old was able to crawl into the wolves’ enclosure while the parents were allegedly looking at their phones some 25 to 30 feet away from the scene. The couple, Carrie Sortor, 43, and Stephen Wilson, 61, were apparently unaware that their child had wandered into the restricted area. They only looked up when they heard commotion coming from the wolf enclosure, according to police who spoke to WGAL. 

“Wolves investigate, test, and interact with unfamiliar objects through ‘mouthing,’ which can include gently taking something into the mouth without intent to injure,” a zoo spokesman said.

The Derry Township police said one of the wolves "instinctively and naturally grabbed onto the child's hand with its mouth" and then bystanders intervened to get the child to safety. The parents are now facing charges of endangering the welfare of a child.

"We are aware of an incident involving a young child at ZooAmerica the morning of Saturday, April 4, and are relieved that the child’s injuries were minor,” Hershey Entertainment and Resorts said in a statement.

“Based on our review, an unsupervised 18-month-old child 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 safety of our guests and the wellbeing of our animals are always our highest priorities. 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 statement added.