A zoo in Ohio has pressed charges against a man who jumped a fence to
pet cougars - then posted video of it on YouTube.
Joshua Newell had his camera rolling when he leaped over the outer fence
of the big cat enclosure at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
The 35-year-old then began petting two adult cougars through a second fence as he said things like, "Kitty, kitty, kitty".
The footage showed the animals appearing to enjoy the attention.
Zoo officials called the video "alarming" and said it was fortunate that neither Newell nor the cougars were harmed. "Animal welfare and safety are two of our top priorities," Columbus Zoo president Tom Stalf said in a statement.
"Barriers, like the fence line at the cougar habitat, are in place to
keep our guests safe. The actions taken in this video were alarming and
resulted in our decision to press charges."
Newell is charged with with a misdemeanor count of trespassing.
He is due to appear in court on Wednesday.
Zoo officials called the video "alarming" and said it was fortunate that neither Newell nor the cougars were harmed. "Animal welfare and safety are two of our top priorities," Columbus Zoo president Tom Stalf said in a statement.
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