MAN ARRESTED, ACCUSED OF ENTERING ZOO HABITAT
San Diego police arrested a 25-year-old man on suspicion of child endangerment after he allegedly carried his 2-year-old daughter into an elephant enclosure Friday afternoon at the San Diego Zoo, police said.
It happened about 4:20 p.m. at the world-renowned zoo in Balboa Park, according to San Diego police Officer Darius Jamsetjee.
“This afternoon ... two guests, despite multiple barriers, purposely and illegally trespassed into a habitat, which is home to our Asian and African elephants,” zoo spokesman Andrew James wrote in a statement. “San Diego Zoo security promptly responded to the incident, but the guests had already exited the habitat.”
According to police, the man “wanted to take a photo with the African bull elephant,” and climbed through at least two barriers to get into the enclosure. Once inside, the elephant noticed the intruders, “seemed a little upset” and started moving toward them, a sergeant said.
The father apparently dropped the girl as he was trying to climb back out, but eventually got himself and the child out uninjured, police said.
The elephants in the enclosure were unharmed, James said, adding that police are now handling the matter, and zoo officials “will follow their guidance.”
Police said zoo security immediately called police officers, who made contact with the family and eventually arrested the father on suspicion of child endangerment.
People entering animal habitats at zoos can pose significant dangers to humans and animals. In 1996, two Manchurian brown bears at the San Diego Zoo mauled and injured a man who climbed into their enclosure. According to a Union-Tribune story from that year, the man had wandered away from a nearby care facility where he was receiving mental health treatment.
He was initially charged with a misdemeanor trespassing offense, but prosecutors later dropped the charge once they were satisfied he was receiving proper mental health treatment.
In 2016, a Cincinnati Zoo worker shot and killed Harambe, a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla, after the animal grabbed a child that fell into his enclosure.