A toddler's hand ended up trapped between the jaws of a wolf after the tot infiltrated the animals enclosure at a US zoo.
Onlookers reportedly had to retrieve the 18-month-old from the fenced-off area as their oblivious parents were allegedly sat scrolling on their phones a few metres away.
Chaos erupted at Zoo America in Pennsylvania on Saturday (4 April) morning after the inquisitive infant made its way towards the metal enclosure.
The young child was attending the zoo with their 43-year-old mother and 61-year-old dad over the weekend when the incident occurred.
Advert
According to reports, the toddler somehow managed to crawl under a perimeter fence to reach a metal barrier which surrounded the wolf enclosure.
Zoo America insisted that the youngster did not enter the enclosure, which is believed to be home to three grey wolves, at any point.
However, they did slide their hand through the fence - and one of the wolves got a grip of it.
Police in Derry Township told WGAL that one of the animals 'instinctively and naturally grabbed onto the child's hand with its mouth'.
The force told the local news outlet that several concerned bystanders noticed what was going on and helped to pull the child away from the wolf.
According to cops, the toddler's parents were sitting on a bench nearby and 'appeared to be looking at their phones', before they 'looked up' when they heard the commotion coming from the enclosure.
Zoo America said that the wolf 'briefly' had the child's hand in its mouth, saying this was an example of the apex predator's 'investigatory behaviour' when coming across an unfamiliar object.
"A wolf approached and made contact with the child’s hand. This type of response is consistent with natural animal behaviour, and was not a sign of aggression," a spokesperson said.
"Wolves investigate, test, and interact with unfamiliar objects through ‘mouthing' ,which can include gently taking something into the mouth without intent to injure.
"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 child is said to have sustained minor injuries during the incident.
According to the zoo's website, the Pennsylvania attraction is home to three wolves - a male called Twister and two females, Hazel and Freya.
It explains that these animals 'communicate by using body postures, facial expressions, scent marking, and vocalisations' while they can also reach speeds of up to 40mph when chasing prey.
WGAL reported that the child's parents have since been charged with one count of endangering the welfare of children.
Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, which runs Zoo America, also said in a statement: "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. 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."
LADbible has contacted the zoo and Derry Township police for further comment.
Olivia Burke