--- description: The zoo is considering pressing charges for child endangerment title: Toddler Falls Into Cheetah Pit After Parents Reportedly Dangle Him Over Railing image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Toddler Falls Into Cheetah Pit After Parents Reportedly Dangle Him Over Railing by [Laura Stampler](/author/laura-stampler/) ## Laura Stampler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 13, 2015 12:21 PM CUT by [Laura Stampler](/author/laura-stampler/) ## Laura Stampler Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 13, 2015 12:21 PM CUT A 2-year-old [fell into a cheetah exhibit at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo](http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/oh-cuyahoga/4-year-old-in-stable-condition-after-fallinf-into-cheetah-exibit-at-cleveland-metroparks-zoo "undefined") on Saturday after his parents reportedly held him over the railing. “Unfortunately we have a number of eyewitness accounts that point to the strong likelihood that the child was dangled over the railing,” the zoo’s executive director, Dr. Christopher Kuhar, [told](http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/oh-cuyahoga/4-year-old-in-stable-condition-after-fallinf-into-cheetah-exibit-at-cleveland-metroparks-zoo "undefined") an ABC affiliate. A fire department official said the mother was seen holding two children at the time of the accident. The zoo is considering filing child endangerment charges against the parents, [CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/12/us/cleveland-zoo-cheetah-fall/index.html "undefined") reports. While the toddler suffered leg injuries following the 10- to 12-foot fall, the cheetahs made no attempt to come in contact with either the boy or parents, who entered the cheetah pit after he fell. “I think they were just curious as to what was going on and why somebody was in the pen with them because it’s not every day that somebody is just in the pen with them,” zoo visitor Terra Lurie [told](http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/cuyahoga-county/2015/04/11/child-falls-into-exhibit-at-cleveland-metroparks-zoo/25640305/ "undefined") a local NBC affiliate. _Read next:_ [_Watch Live Video of the Newborn Giraffe at the Dallas Zoo_](http://time.com/3818463/katie-giraffe-born-dallas-zoo/?iid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3819153/cheetah-pit-cleveland-metroparks-zoo-child/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3819153/cheetah-pit-cleveland-metroparks-zoo-child/"},"headline":"Toddler Falls Into Cheetah Pit After Parents Reportedly Dangle Him Over Railing","datePublished":"2015-04-13T12:21:27.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T06:20:43.321Z","description":"The zoo is considering pressing charges for child endangerment","url":"https://time.com/3819153/cheetah-pit-cleveland-metroparks-zoo-child/","keywords":["Crime","animals","Accident","Zoo"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Laura Stampler","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/laura-stampler/"}],"articleSection":"U.S.","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/us/","name":"U.S."}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3819153/cheetah-pit-cleveland-metroparks-zoo-child/","name":"Toddler Falls Into Cheetah Pit After Parents Reportedly Dangle Him Over Railing"}}]}] ```