Man in Thailand arrested after trespassing into Moo Deng enclosure, no animals harmed

Man in Thailand arrested for trespassing into Moo Deng enclosure

On Tuesday (17 March), Khao Kheow Open Zoo announced on Facebook that the man who had trespassed into the enclosure containing Moo Deng was arrested.

According to the post, the man had hopped over the fence to see the pygmy hippopotamus up close at around 5pm that same day.

Photos and videos of the incident quickly circulated online, alarming many about the animals’ safety.

Clips circulating online

Security footage captured the trespasser inside the enclosure, holding what appears to be an iPad.

The man was walking slowly towards the two pygmy hippos, recording the entire event.

The animals stood their ground as he circled them to get different angles.

At one point, roughly a metre away from the animals, the man tried to reach his hand out as if to pet the animals. He quickly withdrew his hand when both animals began to get curious.

That’s when he backed up to the wall and climbed out of the enclosure.

Animals unharmed

Once the clips began circulating online, people expressed both outrage over the man’s actions and concern for the animals.

To address these concerns, the zoo made an announcement a couple of hours after the incident, via a Facebook post.

The trespasser was identified as a local man, and the zoo added that he sneaked into the enclosure when zoo staff were busy with their evening duties.

Since then, the man has been apprehended and handed over to the police. The zoo will be taking legal action against the man, and investigations are ongoing to determine his motives.

The Facebook post confirmed that Moo Deng and her family were unharmed by the incident, apart from a “slight shock” after an unexpected encounter with a stranger.

It added: “The zoo would like to express our gratitude to all members of the public and fans who have continuously reported incidents and shown concern.”