ST. PAUL, Minn. - Two men are facing charges after giving in to a wild urge to get up close and personal with the giraffes at Como Zoo.
St. Paul Police say the two suspects... a 23-year-old man from New Hope and a 23-year-old man from Minneapolis... were arrested for trespassing just before 5:45 p.m. Saturday. Officers responded to reports that two people had climbed over the safety rails and entered the giraffe pit.
Spokesman Sergeant Mike Ernster confirms that both men smelled of alcohol, and had to lean up against a rail for support when speaking with a responding officer.
Zoo spokesman Matt Reinarz tells KARE 11 that the men climbed over two four-foot barriers to get into the exhibit, and were sitting about four feet below a platform where the giraffes eat. He believes they were inside the enclosure for less than two minutes and never got near any of the giraffes.
"People will go to great lengths to make poor decisions," he quipped.
Reinarz says both suspects were cooperative, exiting the pit when ordered to by zoo security.
The two men were cited and released.
