Felony charges after man entered elephant exhibit at Pittsburgh Zoo

A 19-year-old Ohio man is facing felony charges after video posted to social media shows him entering an elephant exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo on Sept. 21. Court records identify the man as Noah Thomas of Austintown and say he jumped over a fenced area into the enclosure, approached an elephant behind a gate and retreated as the animal pushed against the barrier with its trunk.

Court records list three third-degree felony counts against Thomas: causing or risking catastrophe, criminal trespass and conspiracy risking catastrophe. He also faces misdemeanor counts for cruelty to animals and recklessly endangering another person, and a criminal complaint includes a theft of services allegation tied to entering the zoo without paying. No attorney information was available in the records.

The video was posted to an Instagram account identified as justnoah.t with captions including Professional gate jumper, Almost elephant food and Pittsburgh Zoo Survivor and the hashtag doitforthecontent. Court documents and the complaint state that Thomas and another person entered the zoo without tickets through a temporary exit that the zoo is using during remodeling. The footage shows bystanders...