Child Rushed to Hospital After Falling Into Florida Rhino Exhibit

A 2-year-old girl is recovering in the hospital after she fell into a rhino exhibit at Florida’s [...]

By Allison Schonter

A 2-year-old girl is recovering in the hospital after she fell into a rhino exhibit at Florida's Brevard Zoo.

In a statement to ABC News, Brevard Zoo, located in Melbourne, Florida, explained that the child, not yet identified, fell into the exhibit during a "hands-on, educational experience with Brevard Zoo's white rhinoceroses" called the Rhino Encounter, on Tuesday.

"During the encounter, participants and the rhinoceroses are separated by a series of steel poles," the statement added. "According to witnesses, the child stumbled and fell in between two of the poles and at this point, the snout of at least one of rhinoceroses made contact with the child."

The scary close-encounter was documented on social media, with one user sharing a photo of the toddler's shoe in the enclosure.

The child, who was immediately pulled to safety by her parents, reportedly suffered an abrasion on her cheek. She and her mother, who complained of arm pain, were taken to the Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital and Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando for non-critical injuries. While the mother was recently released, the 2-year-old remains in the hospital and is said to be "doing well."

"Our daughter is in good care at Arnold Palmer Hospital and is doing well," a statement from the 2-year-old's father reads. "My wife was also treated for her injury and has been released from the hospital. At this time, we ask for privacy as we focus on our daughter's recovery."

According to the zoo's website, the 20-minute-long Rhino Encounter is supervised by zookeepers and allows guests the opportunity to touch the feeding white rhinoceros, who are separated only by a series of steel poles. The encounter is open to those ages 3 and up.

The encounter, which has been running without incident since 2009, has since been suspended as the zoo evaluates its safety.

"Our number one concern is the safety and welfare of our guests and our hearts go out to the family," Keith Winsten, the Zoo's executive director, said in an online statement. "Safety has always been of paramount importance to us and we are suspending these encounters until we have thoroughly reviewed our processes and procedures to ensure this cannot happen again."

The Brevard Zoo is home to four white rhinos – two males and two females. None of the animals will be punished for the incident. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission is currently "conducting a thorough investigation of the incident."

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