This browser does not support the Video element.
Boy enters Milwaukee County Zoo exhibit, caught on video
The Milwaukee County Zoo is responding after a child got into an animal exhibit. It happened Monday afternoon, and a video of the incident went viral on social media.
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee County Zoo is responding after a child got into an animal exhibit. It happened Monday afternoon, and a video of the incident went viral on social media.
The zoo said the boy was in the outdoor African Savanna habitat for about two to three minutes after breaking away from family. A man identifying himself as the boy's father reached out and said there is more to it, and they are looking for understanding.
Boy enters zoo enclosure
What we know:
The outdoor African Savanna gets a lot of eyes for the animals inside, but lately it has been getting a lot of attention for a different reason.
"My initial reaction was wondering how in the world the kid got in here," said Angela Amundson of Waukesha.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
Viral videos posted on TikTok, with more than 30,000 shares, show a child inside holding a stick and chasing the Southern ground hornbills.
"It’s their home, so they’re being protective," said Tracey Dolphin, Milwaukee County Zoo director of animal management and health.
Dolphin said the boy was only in the exhibit for a couple of minutes.
"They’re not used to someone being in the habitat other than our care staff," Dolphin said.
A person identifying himself as the child's father reached out on social media, saying his 13-year-old son has severe autism and is non-verbal. He said his son loves animals and was at the zoo with his grandmother and a caregiver when he broke away. The grandmother went in after him, and they were able to climb out safely.
It is an incident everyone involved hopes is not repeated so focus can get back to the animals.
"Be really mindful of the barriers and respectful so that we can all ensure that the animals here at the zoo are being respected," Dolphin said.
Dolphin said with any incident like this, officials review protocol and habitats. She added that the habitats meet accreditation standards.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
This browser does not support the Video element.
Milwaukee County Zoo: Child gets inside animal enclosure
An official with the Milwaukee County Zoo talked about an incident that happened at an outdoor enclosure at the zoo on Monday, Aug. 24. The incident involved a child who was able to get into the savannah enclosure, but managed to get out safety with the help of a relative.
Statement from the boy's father
What they're saying:
The boy's father said after responding to that viral video post, people have been wishing harm to him and his family. He said he is not justifying what happened but is looking for some grace.
His full statement reads:
"Here is our family’s only statement and we wish to remain anonymous.
"First we want to thank the zoo’s security staff (particularly Jeff) for their prompt and professional help as well as fantastic follow up after the incident to make sure my son was ok."
"We regret the incident that took place at the zoo yesterday. Our son is severely autistic, non verbal, and is also diagnosed with ADHD and epilepsy. Animals are his obsessions and The zoo is likely his most favorite place on earth. we as annual zoo pass holders visited dozens of times in his 13 years of life without incident."
"While my wife and I were at work his caretaker and grandmother decided to take him for a nice day at the zoo, and as any parent of autism can attest, we were so grateful for the help. He had a great day without incident then at the very last moment and without warning he was able to break away from his grandmother and jumped into the exhibit with the hornbills. He proceeded to chase them for approximately 30 seconds or so as his grandmother figured out how to get into the exhibit to help him. She was eventually able to get him out with the help of some fellow zoo goers and security staff."
"We are animal lovers and are relieved that the animals were not hurt during the incident. I have personally reached out to the director of operations of the zoo as of this morning to personally apologize and see if there is any way we can help or make amends. In the time since the videos were posted, i responded to one of them trying to explain the situation and have since received messages wishing harm and death upon my son and my family."
"While we understand how upsetting it is, we do ask for some patience, empathy and understanding for our son. He adores animals and would never do serious harm to them. It’s apparent he didn’t fully understand his actions and his impulses took over. We don’t use this as justification, we just ask for some grace as we move forward to make things right."
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Ashley Sears and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Angela Amundson, Tracey Dolphin, social media correspondence with a person identifying as the child's father and FOX6 News reporting.