POWELL, Ohio (WCMH)- A video posted to YouTube off a man jumping a barrier and petting two cougars at the Columbus Zoo leads to charges being filed.
The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office says the above YouTube video was the one that led to the charges.
According to the Columbus Zoo, charges of criminal trespassing has been pressed against a man after video showed him jumping a barrier to pet two adult cougars in the North America region of the zoo.
“Animal welfare and safety are two of our top priorities,” said Columbus Zoo President Tom Stalf. “Barriers, like the fence line at the cougar habitat, are in place to keep our guests and animals safe. The actions in this video are alarming and resulted in our decision to press charges.”
The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office says no arrests have been made, but have said the name of the suspect is Josh Newell.