This is the terrifying moment a child stood just feet away from a rhino in Dublin Zoo.
Accompanied by three adults, the boy appeared to be posing for a photograph inside the African Plains area.
One horrified onlooker, who said the lad was in the pen for 20 minutes, told the Irish Mirror : “It was such a stupid thing to do. He was only metres away from the rhinos. People were totally horrified.
“The child was with a male relative who was getting him to pose for photos and trying to make the child go further in.”
Ciarán Ferrie tweeted the photo of the tot standing on a rock inside the fence of the enclosure as adults looked on.
Other pictures show the animal facing the child who is holding an adult’s hand while looking at the beast.
Last night Dublin Zoo said they were investigating the incident which took place on Saturday.
A spokesperson for Dublin Zoo said: “The matter is being taken care of internally by Dublin Zoo.
“It’s completely against Dublin Zoo’s health and safety rules but it is being looked into at the moment.”
Just weeks ago Harambe the gorilla was shot dead at Cincinnati Zoo when a child fell inside his enclosure.
Zoo authorities said they had no choice but to shoot the animal as he held four-year-old Isiah Dickerson by the hand.
Ten years ago a teenager was bitten by a tiger when she breached security fences at the zoo.
The young woman from Co Derry, was mauled by an Amur tiger when she crossed the fences near the animal’s enclosure.
It is believed she stuck her hand through the fence in the enclosure before the animal attacked her.
A safety review found Dublin Zoo could not have done anything to prevent the tiger from biting her.
Do you know the people involved? Contact rachel.bishop@trinitymirror.com or call 0207 293 2273.
