Toddler Injured at Hersheypark Zoo After Entering Restricted Area

On Saturday, a young toddler had an alarming encounter at the Hersheypark Zoo when his hand ended up in a wolf’s mouth. The child, just 17 months old, reportedly crawled into a restricted area while his parents were distracted by their cell phones.

A spokesperson from ZooAmerica explained that the child, who was “unsupervised,” managed to crawl beneath a metal fence surrounding the wolf habitat and was injured after reaching in. A curious wolf interacted with the child’s hand by briefly putting it in its mouth—a common behavior for canines when exploring their surroundings, they added.

According to officials at the Pennsylvania State Park Zoo, this kind of mouth play is natural for wolves as they test and engage with unknown objects, typically without any intent to harm.

Witnesses revealed that the toddler’s parents, Carrie Souter, 43, and Steven Wilson, 61, were seated about 8 to 30 feet away, engrossed in their phones, when a bystander intervened. The parents only became aware of the situation after hearing some commotion near the enclosure, which must have been quite alarming.

Fortunately, zoo officials clarified that the child suffered only minor injuries in this incident.

Local police reported that Souter and Wilson have since been charged with first-degree misdemeanor for endangering their child’s welfare.

ZooAmerica emphasized that their habitat features multiple protective measures, including clear signage and fencing, to keep guests safe. They’ve urged visitors to remain in designated areas and closely supervise their children at all times, which seems reasonable given the circumstances.

Interestingly, the zoo is home to three wolves: a male named Twister and two sisters, Hazel and Freya.