A shocking incident occurred at a zoo in Pennsylvania, USA: a 17-month-old baby independently climbed over a barrier and reached their hand toward a pack of wolves, only to have one of them immediately bite the child's finger. What's even more outrageous is that the baby's parents were sitting nearby, absorbed in their phones, completely unaware that their child was in danger.
According to reports by WGAL and other American media, the incident happened on the 4th at Zoo America, which is attached to Hersheypark. The zoo stated that the baby’s finger was briefly bitten by a curious wolf, but thanks to the immediate intervention of nearby visitors, the child sustained only minor injuries.
At the time, the parents were sitting on a bench 25 to 30 feet away, focused on their phones and completely oblivious to the peril their child was in, only noticing something was wrong when they heard commotion nearby and looked up.
A zoo spokesperson explained that the wolf’s action toward the baby was a manifestation of a canid’s “exploratory instinct” when encountering an unfamiliar object. This means the animal uses its mouth to gently touch and test the unknown, and was not acting out of aggression. “Wolves investigate, test, and interact with unfamiliar objects using mouthing, and may gently take an object in their mouths, but with no intention to harm.”
Zoo America currently houses three wolves: a male wolf named Twister, and two female wolf sisters, Hazel and Freya. The zoo emphasized that the habitat has multiple protective design features as well as clear signage and isolation barriers to ensure visitor safety. Visitors are required to stay within designated areas and are asked to closely supervise children at all times.
Although the incident ended without serious harm, the baby’s parents—43-year-old Carrie Sortor and 61-year-old Stephen Wilson—both now face first-degree misdemeanor charges for endangering the welfare of a child.