Family enter barrier at Perth Zoo to let kids ‘touch tortoise’

A family have been accused of entering a fenced area to let their kids touch a giant tortoise at Perth Zoo and take pictures.

A family was photographed inside the tortoise enclosure at Perth Zoo. Picture: Supplied/Yahoo

A family has been caught on camera entering a fenced area at Perth Zoo to allegedly touch a Galapagos giant tortoise.

Pictures shared with Yahoo News Australia show a man, woman and young child beyond a roped barrier.

The woman is seen holding the child as she bends down next to what appears to be the tortoise. The man can be seen holding his phone up to take pictures.

A fellow visitor at the zoo on Sunday claimed the family climbed over the fence twice “so each of their kids could get a turn grabbing and touching the tortoise”.

“They were clearly English speakers with Australian accents who understood us and the signs,” she told Yahoo.

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The photo obtained by Yahoo show the family beyond the roped fence.

The man allegedly told onlookers who took issue with the situation to “let the kids f***ing experience it”.

“The mum ignored us completely, just laughing and forcing their daughter, who was crying at this point because of the commotion, to grab onto the tortoise,” the visitor said.

Staff were reportedly flagged down but the family had left.

The Galapagos giant tortoise species is under threat and many subspecies are listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as endangered or critically endangered.

In a statement, Perth Zoo said visitors were expected to respect all signage and fencing to ensure the safety of both the animals and visitors.

The woman held a child as she leaned into the tortoise. Picture: Supplied / Yahoo

Commenting on the pictures online, Australians called for the family to be fined and banned from the zoo.

“Hopefully they find these people and ban them from the zoo, rules are there to protect the animals,” one woman said.

“Yea and if the tortoise bit the kid the parents would sue because it was too easily accessible. Entitled Millennials,” wrote a man.

“Fine them and ban them from the zoo for life,” added a third.

In 2016, a critically endangered tortoise was stolen from the same zoo. It was later dumped at a police station in a backpack.

At the time, a spokeswoman said another two tortoises were stolen “a couple of years ago” prompting them to step up security but it still wasn’t enough.