A teenager who jumped over a glass railing at the Denver Zoo to snap a closeup of a rhinoceros is banned from the zoo for life.

The incident happened at about 1:15 p.m. Friday in the Clayton F. Freiheit Elephant House, according to zoo officials.

The boy jumped a 3-foot, 6-inch glass railing that separates a public path from a staff walkway in front of an indoor enclosure, the zoo said in a news release. After taking the photo he “promptly jumped back over the railing into the public space.”

The intruder was never inside the rhino enclosure. He was removed from the zoo by police and cited for trespassing. He’s been banned from the zoo for life.

“The safety of Denver Zoo’s guests, animals and staff is our top priority and we take these matters very seriously,” zoo officials said.



