Father in the US Arrested on Child Abuse Charges After Attempting to Take Selfie with Daughter, Fined 100 Million Won for Crossing the Line

Published 22 Mar.2021 16:37(KST)

Arrested on Charges of Child Abuse

Elephant at the zoo. Photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A man in the United States has drawn criticism for entering an animal enclosure at a zoo with his two-year-old daughter.

According to ABC News and others, at a zoo in San Diego, California, the man was arrested by police on charges of endangering the child after entering the elephant enclosure while holding his two-year-old baby and taking photos with the animals.

According to a video provided to NBC San Diego by a witness, the man who entered the double-fenced enclosure to take pictures realized too late that a massive elephant was charging toward him.

People outside the fence shouted, "Get out of the enclosure immediately," and "Hey, you need to come out from there."

Witnesses testified that the elephant inside the enclosure became rapidly agitated upon spotting the man.

The man hastily tried to exit the enclosure but accidentally dropped the baby on the ground.

He barely managed to pick up the child and pushed her under the fence, then got out himself. The elephant, having missed its chance to attack them right in front of its eyes, let out a sharp cry, seemingly agitated.

It was a moment that could have led to a serious accident.

The baby started crying after being brought out, and people who witnessed the scene angrily shouted accusations at the man for putting the child in danger.

Fortunately, no one was injured, but people sighed in relief as they watched the man's reckless escape.

The man, who was arrested at the scene by police, stated, "I entered the elephant enclosure to take a selfie."

The police detained the man at San Diego County Jail. He was charged with child abuse and was set a bail of $100,000 (approximately 113.22 million KRW).