Mother dangles child over cheetah pit before he falls

CLEVELAND – A woman was dangling her 2-year-old son over a railing at the Cleveland zoo when he fell about 10 feet into a cheetah exhibit, zoo officials said.

The toddler’s parents jumped in and pulled him to safety Saturday afternoon. He was treated at a hospital for a few bumps and bruises, Cleveland Fire Department spokesman Larry Gray said.

The cheetahs didn’t go toward the boy or his parents, said Chris Kuhar, executive director of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Several eyewitnesses saw the woman holding the child over the railing, Kuhar said in a statement. “While this incident is disturbing to everyone, we are glad injuries were not any more severe,” he said.

Cleveland Metroparks plans to seek child endangering charges against the mother today, he said.