Watch: Hippo Spanker Wanted By The LAPD

LOS ANGELES, CA — Police in Los Angeles are investigating video proof that not everyone has common sense. The video also has staffers at the Los Angeles zoo doing something they never thought they’d have to do: explain that climbing into the hippopotamus enclosure to slap the animals is dangerous.

Hippos are notoriously the deadliest animal to humans in Africa, but that fact didn’t stop a man from hopping into the Los Angeles Zoo’s hippo enclosure to smack an unsuspecting hippopotamus on the rump. The man managed to hop back out before the animals reacted, but video of the incident has created an uproar and led to a police investigation.

The video circulated on social media last week, forcing Zoo officials to post a “No Trespassing” sign outside the enclosure.

“We seriously feel this was an isolated incident,” zoo spokeswoman April Spurlock told the Los Angeles Times. “Most people know not to go in with the animals. It’s common sense.”

It may be common sense, but it’s not animal cruelty, investigators determined after studying the video.

In the video, a man can be see climbing over a railing on top of a barrier and reaching over a wall to slap the rump of Rosie the hippo. She hardly reacts to the provocation, which is why the man is not wanted for animal cruelty, merely trespassing. Rosie’s mother Mara, on, the other hand, looks up and freezes when she hears the slap.

Reaction to the video and the uproar has been mixed.

“Wow this is not funny considering Hippos can kill people! Hope it's worth the prosecution and jail time,” one person commented on the Video's post to Twitter.

“So stupid. Wouldn’t feel bad if he got bit,” responded another.

Still others didn’t see why people are outraged.

“I doubt it hurt the hippo. Seriously people,” wrote one fan of the video.

The zoo, however, is not taking it lightly.

“Any unauthorized interaction with an animal is unsafe for the animal and potentially unsafe for the patron,” Spurlock told the Times. “It is never appropriate for anyone to attempt to have contact or interaction with any animal outside of our staff-led animal experiences.”

Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Zoo.