Go get it
You are right, you should absolutely not throw things at the animals you see at the zoo, respect them like you would a human being. If you do throw stuff at them, we are not really sure if it’s okay that you need to not put your life in danger to get it back either.
We suppose it depends on who is running that zoo and what they think appropriate justice would be. Some would say the punishment does not match the crime here, others would disagree. Whatever the case may be, just leave the animals alone and follow the rules of the zoo, it’ll make your life easier.