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Zoo suspends exhibits after toddler enters rhino enclosure

Posted at 4:44 PM, Jan 02, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-02 16:44:47-05

MELBOURNE, Fla. (AP) — A zoo where a toddler stumbled into a rhinoceros enclosure is suspending exhibits offering “premium” animal experiences while officials review safety protocol.

The Brevard Zoo announced the suspension of the Rhino Encounters exhibit and similar displays in a statement Wednesday.

The 2-year-old girl was taken to a hospital for treatment Tuesday after she stumbled through steel poles separating the rhinos and spectators.

Officials at the zoo on Florida’s Space Coast say a rhino’s snout touched the girl before she was retrieved in a matter of seconds from the exhibit.
The girl’s father said in a statement Wednesday that his daughter is doing well.