Man Who Jumped Fence to Pet Zoo Cougars Sentenced

A man who jumped a fence to pet cougars at Columbus zoo in Ohio then posted his video on YouTube last week pleaded no contest Wednesday to a misdemeanor criminal trespassing charge and was found guilty.

Joshua Newell, 35, of suburban Gahanna was sentenced to four days in jail, with two of those suspended, and fined $200 plus other costs in Delaware Municipal Court, north of Columbus.

The video posted last week shows an outer fence being jumped, then two cougars being petted through another fence as a voice says things such as "Kitty, kitty, kitty."

Newell told NBC affiliate WCMH-TV he regrets petting the animals. 

“That was a very bad decision,” Newell told the station. “If I had to do it over I definitely would have stayed within the barrier boundaries. I was thinking I’m an animal lover. The cats were looking like they wanted some love and just jumped over and petted them.”

Columbus Zoo CEO Tom Stalf said in a statement that animal welfare and safety are top priorities. He called the video "alarming."

Newell told WCMH he hopes he's not banned from the zoo.

“I’ve thought about reaching out to them to do some volunteer work or donations, anything I can do to help them out,” he said.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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