Trending Now - Parents Face Charges After Child Injured by Wolf at Zoo

WHO:

ABC News - The parents of a toddler, who are from Lititz, Pennsylvania, have been charged with endangering the welfare of children.

CBS News - The child involved is a 17-month-old toddler.

WHAT:

ABC News - The parents have been charged with a misdemeanor offense of endangering the welfare of children after their child made contact with a wolf at ZooAmerica.

ABC News - The child suffered a minor injury after placing a hand through a primary metal fence enclosure near the wolf exhibit.

Fox News - The child was described as "unsupervised" at the time of the incident.

WHERE:

ABC News - The incident occurred at ZooAmerica, which is part of the Hersheypark theme park in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

WHEN:

ABC News - The incident took place on Saturday, April 2nd, 2026.

ABC News - The parents are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 28th, 2026.

ABC News - Court records were posted on Monday, April 3rd, 2026.

WHY:

ABC News - The parents were charged after an initial investigation and consultation with the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office.

HOW:

ABC News - The child squeezed through a small opening in a wooden barrier perimeter fence and entered a restricted area near the wolf exhibit.

ABC News - The parents were approximately 25 to 30 feet (7.6 meters to 9.1 meters) away from the child and appeared to be distracted by their cellphones when the incident occurred.

ABC News - Several bystanders intervened and helped pull the child away from the wolf enclosure.

(UPDATED April 7, 2026 15:19 UTC)

The parents of a 17-month-old toddler from Lititz, Pennsylvania, have been charged with endangering the welfare of children after their child made contact with a wolf at ZooAmerica, which is part of Hersheypark. The incident occurred on Saturday, on Thursday, when the child, described as unsupervised, squeezed through a small opening in a barrier fence and suffered a minor injury before bystanders intervened. The parents are scheduled for a preliminary hearing April 28th, following an investigation by the Dauphin County District Attorney's Office.