47°F
weather icon Cloudy

2-year-old girl falls into rhino exhibit at Florida zoo

MELBOURNE, Fla. — Officials say a 2-year-old girl has been injured after falling into the rhinoceros exhibit at a Florida zoo.

Brevard County Fire Rescue officials said the girl was taken to an Orlando hospital for treatment Tuesday afternoon. Her mother was also taken to a hospital for treatment. The incident happened at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne.

The zoo’s executive director Keith Winsten tells Florida Today they don’t believe the rhino’s horn touched the child. The extent of her injuries wasn’t immediately known.

He says she fell through the steel poles that separate guests from rhinos during a hands-on experience.

Zoo spokesman Elliot Zirulnik says the zoo has offered the hands-on experience daily since 2009 without any incidents prior to Tuesday.

MOST READ
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
At least 2 killed, 8 injured in shooting at Brown University in Rhode Island

A shooting in the engineering building at Brown University left at least two people dead and eight critically injured Saturday, Providence’s mayor said, as authorities searched for a suspect.

Legendary West Coast burger chain just opened its first eastern US restaurants

In-N-Out fans in the eastern United States finally have something to celebrate. After years of hoping the iconic West Coast chain would expand beyond its core territory, the company has officially opened its first restaurants east of the Mississippi.

MORE STORIES