Cleveland Zoo (Photo : Facebook/ClevelandMetroparksZoo)
A mother from Ohio allegedly dangled her two year old son over a railing at a Cleveland Zoo as he fell into the cheetah pit exhibit.
According to ABC News, Michelle Schwab from Delaware, Ohio was charged with child endangering on Monday in Cleveland Municipal Court. Zoo authorities said that the little boy was not attacked by the cheetahs when he fell in but hurt his leg in the fall. The parents jumped in the pit and pulled the little boy to safety.
The Cleveland Zoo pressed charges due to this incident. Zoo authorities claim that their cheetah pit exhibit has a 10-feet high fence surrounding the area for safety precautions but a pavilion with an opening overlooks the enclosure.
Larry Gray, Cleveland Fire Department spokesperson, said that the mother was holding another child when she dropped the little boy, Fox News reported.
The tragic and scary incident at the Cleveland Zoo horrified the zoo goers as they heard the screams when the little boy fell in.
A witness explained that all they heard were screams. After which they saw a man jumped in the cheetah pit and another man pulled him out. Other people started screaming when the authorities started blocking everyone off.
According to Chris Kuhar, the Zoo's Executive Director, the mother is at fault on this incident.
"Unfortunately, we have a number of eyewitness accounts that point to the strong likelihood that the child was dangled over the railing," Kuhar said.
The Zoo officials decided to close the cheetah exhibit for the rest of the day.
