A video of a man climbing a barrier at the Los Angeles Zoo and then slapping a hippopotamus on its rear end has sparked a criminal investigation by the LAPD, officials said Monday.
Zoo officials learned about the incident last week, after a video of the spanking began circulating on social media. Zoo officials responded by reporting the episode to police and by posting a “No Trespassing” sign on the exhibit. It is the first such sign to be placed on an animal exhibit, zoo officials said.
https://twitter.com/SomeToLaughAt/status/1026902524526243841
“Any unauthorized interaction with an animal is unsafe for the animal and potentially unsafe for the patron,” said April Spurlock, a zoo spokeswoman. “It is never appropriate for anyone to attempt to have contact or interaction with any animal outside of our staff-led animal experiences.”
The video, which was filmed from the opposite side of the animal enclosure, shows the man vaulting a railing and creeping up slowly on two hippos, Rosie and Mara. The man then reaches out and slaps Rosie, who is almost 4 years old. The loud slap appears to startle Mara — Rosie’s mother — and she quickly lifts her head as the man runs off and raises his arms in a gesture of victory. Rosie does not appear to move after being struck.
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