Columbus Zoo fence jumper sentenced to jail
Josh Newell, the Columbus man who jumped a fence at the Columbus Zoo last week and videotaped himself petting a couple of cougars, had his day in court this morning.
Newell told a Delaware County magistrate that he wasn’t seeking attention with his actions. (That kind of rings hollow when you take video of yourself and then post it to YouTube, Josh.) His guilty plea to a charge of criminal trespassing brought him a sentence of two days in jail and he must pay $354 (including a fine and court costs).
He later walked out of the courthouse holding a Go-Pro camera and wearing a t-shirt that said “Cougar Love.” He says that he will be selling similar shirts and donate proceeds to the zoo. (jj)
Previous: Columbus Zoo fence jumper due in court 7/27/15
A Columbus Zoo visitor is due in court this week to answer trespassing charges after he crossed an external barrier fence to pet cougars.
Josh Newell recorded his climbing of the fence and his physical contact with the animals. Afterwards, he posted the video on YouTube where it has since been viewed more than 100,000 times. Newell coaxed the animals with calls of “here kitty, kitty, kitty.” Two cougars responded and came his way rubbing against an internal fence and allowing Newell to reach his fingers through to pet them.
The cougars appeared to enjoy the interaction but the zoo says that doesn’t matter. Many have suggested that if the animals had not been so gentle and if Newell had been hurt, he might have sued the zoo and possibly put the lives of the cougars at risk. A spokesman for the zoo says that the fencing is in place for the protection of both guests and animals.
Newell is due in court on Wednesday. He says that he expects to pay a fine, but hopes that he won’t be banned from the zoo.
The Columbus Zoo says that they have no plans to change security features like the fence around the cougar exhibit. If additional violations occur, they say that they may revisit the issue. (jj)
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