Cincinnati Zoo director defends killing gorilla to save boy

[webfact]

Cincinnati Zoo director defends killing gorilla to save boy
By DAN SEWELL

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Zoo's director on Monday defended the decision to kill a gorilla to protect a 4-year-old boy who entered its exhibit, noting it's easy to second-guess after the child was recovered safely.

The male western lowland gorilla named Harambe was killed Saturday by a special zoo response team that feared for the boy's safety. Video taken by zoo visitors showed the gorilla at times appeared to be protective of the boy but also dragged him through the shallow moat.

Director Thane Maynard said the gorilla was agitated and disoriented by the commotion during the 10 minutes after the boy fell. He said the gorilla could crush a coconut in one hand and there was no doubt that the boy's life was in danger.

"We stand by our decision," he said Monday, reiterating that using a tranquilizer on the 420-pound gorilla could have further threatened the boy because it wouldn't have taken effect immediately.

Maynard said an investigation indicates the boy climbed over a 3-foot-tall railing, then walked through an area of bushes about 4 feet deep before plunging some 15 feet into the moat. The boy was treated at a hospital and released that same day.

The director said the zoo remains safe for its some 1.6 million annual visitors, but a review is underway for possible improvements.

Kim O'Connor, who witnessed the boy's fall, told WLWT-TV that she heard the youngster say he wanted to get in the water with the gorillas. She said the boy's mother was with several other young children and told him no.

Anthony Seta, an animal rights activist in Cincinnati, helped organize a vigil Monday just outside the zoo gates. He said the gathering wasn't meant to assess blame but rather to honor Harambe, who turned 17 the day before he was shot.

"People can shout at the parents and people can shout at the zoo," Seta said. "The fact is that a gorilla that just celebrated his birthday has been killed."

In the days since, people have taken to social media to voice their outrage about the killing of a member of an endangered species. A Facebook page called "Justice for Harambe" was created along with online petitions and another page calling for a June 5 protest at the zoo.

Maynard said the zoo had received messages of support and condolences from around the world, including from other zoo directors and gorilla experts. A spokesman for Jane Goodall, the famed primatologist, said she had "a private conversation" with Maynard, who said she expressed her sympathy.

Maynard said zoo visitors have been leaving flowers at the exhibit and asking how they could support gorilla conservation.

"This is very emotional and people have expressed different feelings," Maynard said by email. "Not everyone shares the same opinion and that's OK. But we all share the love for animals."

The Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, where Harambe spent most of his life, said Monday that its staff was deeply saddened by the gorilla's death.

Harambe was sent to Cincinnati less than two years ago in hopes he would eventually breed with females there. Maynard said the zoo has some of Harambe's sperm saved for research and possible future reproductive use.

Many social media commenters have criticized the boy's parents and said they should be held accountable. A Cincinnati police spokesman said no charges were being considered. A spokeswoman for the family said Monday they had no plans to comment.

"I do think there's a degree of responsibility they have to be held to," said Kate Villanueva, a mother of two children from Erlanger, Kentucky, who started the "Justice for Harambe" page and attended Monday's vigil. "You have to be watching your children at all times."

Jack Hanna, host of "Jack Hanna's Into the Wild," said the zoo made the right call by shooting the gorilla. Hanna said he saw video of the gorilla jerking the boy through the water and knew what would happen if the animal wasn't killed.

"I'll bet my life on this, that child would not be here today," Hanna told WBNS-TV.

The zoo said that it's the first such spectator breach at Gorilla World since it opened in 1978. The director said expansion plans announced for the exhibit earlier this year would proceed as scheduled.

Gorilla World remained closed Monday, but Maynard said it could reopen next weekend.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals released a statement from its primatologist Julia Gallucci saying the zoo should have had better barriers between humans and the gorillas.

"This tragedy is exactly why PETA urges families to stay away from any facility that displays animals as sideshows for humans to gawk at," Gallucci said.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-05-31

[ggt]

Saw a bit of the footage of the gorilla and the boy...it was intense...the gorilla was not trying to hurt the boy...looked more bewildered about the incident...

The gorilla was massive...and could have killed the child in an instant...but only just kept the boy near him while all the people were having a fit...

Enter the "A" team...trained in Zoo-ology customer protection...never tried to sedate the animal...just killed it out-right...

Sad ending to the gorilla...who was an innocent and unwilling participant to the whole sordid affair...

Edited May 31, 2016 by ggt

[IAMHERE]

Where were the parents? The kid didn't just climb down there in ten seconds or less. The parents should be on the hook for buying a replacement gorilla.

[harada]

After seeing footage of a similar incident where the gorilla was simply trying to protect the child, it seems that on this occasion the one with the highest IQ in this crowd got the bullet.

[user82374298374]

Both the parents and the zoo are culpable for this incident.

That being said, killing the gorilla, though regrettable, was absolutely the right call. Kudos to the zoo for having the intestinal fortitude to a) do the right thing and refuse to apologize to the SJW crazies who're unjustly criticizing them.

[granuaile]

Saw a bit of the footage of the gorilla and the boy...it was intense...the gorilla was not trying to hurt the boy...looked more bewildered about the incident...

The gorilla was massive...and could have killed the child in an instant...but only just kept the boy near him while all the people were having a fit...

Enter the "A" team...trained in Zoo-ology customer protection...never tried to sedate the animal...just killed it out-right...

Sad ending to the gorilla...who was an innocent and unwilling participant to the whole sordid affair...

I don't think you saw the entire footage. The footage initially released did not show everything. At least twice Harambe drug the child through the moat, the second time pulling him out of sight, after which zoo officials said he climbed a ladder with the boy. I don't think the gorilla was acting out of aggression but was irritated by the crowds. Every expert I've heard comment about the situation has said tranquilizing the gorilla would have taken 10-14 minutes to act and possibly made the gorilla even more agitated. I won't say it should not have been tried, but a child's life was in danger, and the child already had suffered some injuries including a concussion. Jane Goodall is certainly the world's foremost primatologists studying gorillas, I honestly don't think she would expressed condolences withe zoo if she felt they had other options.

A spokesman for Jane Goodall, the famed primatologist, said she had "a private conversation" with Maynard, who said she expressed her sympathy.

I'm from Cincinnati originally though I left after my undergraduate degree, and the zoo in Cincinnati is one of the best and committed to saving endangered species. In this case I think both the parents and the zoo have some responsibility, but I won't second guess their decision when a child's life was at stake...

[ALFREDO]

Saw a bit of the footage of the gorilla and the boy...it was intense...the gorilla was not trying to hurt the boy...looked more bewildered about the incident...

The gorilla was massive...and could have killed the child in an instant...but only just kept the boy near him while all the people were having a fit...

Enter the "A" team...trained in Zoo-ology customer protection...never tried to sedate the animal...just killed it out-right...

Sad ending to the gorilla...who was an innocent and unwilling participant to the whole sordid affair...

I don't think you saw the entire footage. The footage initially released did not show everything. At least twice Harambe drug the child through the moat, the second time pulling him out of sight, after which zoo officials said he climbed a ladder with the boy. I don't think the gorilla was acting out of aggression but was irritated by the crowds. Every expert I've heard comment about the situation has said tranquilizing the gorilla would have taken 10-14 minutes to act and possibly made the gorilla even more agitated. I won't say it should not have been tried, but a child's life was in danger, and the child already had suffered some injuries including a concussion. Jane Goodall is certainly the world's foremost primatologists studying gorillas, I honestly don't think she would expressed condolences withe zoo if she felt they had other options.

A spokesman for Jane Goodall, the famed primatologist, said she had "a private conversation" with Maynard, who said she expressed her sympathy.

I'm from Cincinnati originally though I left after my undergraduate degree, and the zoo in Cincinnati is one of the best and committed to saving endangered species. In this case I think both the parents and the zoo have some responsibility, but I won't second guess their decision when a child's life was at stake...

To your - "Jane Goodall is certainly the world's foremost primatologists studying gorillas"

She is a old lady, 82 and will know a lot about all primates, but her field was -Chimpanzees- who are more likely killers and aggressive - also to other animals.

"Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall

We should better, have a statement from her, DIAN FOSSEY - who would;d be more accurate, but sadly, died in the line of fire, for her work, to help Gorillas!

"Nobody loved Gorillas more then her."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dian_Fossey

Edited May 31, 2016 by ALFREDO

[mopar71]

I don't think the nature gorillas is really relevant here. No one is claiming it was trying to kill the boy or intentionally hurt him when he dragged the boy around by his leg like a rag doll. Maybe he was initially trying to protect the kid. Maybe the crowd noises irritated him. Whatever it was, at the end of the day, the gorilla was being too rough with the kid and it ended in tragedy.

I just hope some crazed "animal lover" doesn't try to get some revenge on the little kid or his family.

[johnatong]

Despite what the "monkey lovers" say the Zoo's director made the only decision that was realistically available to him at the time.

Attention should be turned to the nature and safety of the fencing and also to the level of parental supervision offered.

Note it is now being reported that the child climbed into the enclosure which is very different to earlier reports which claimed he had crawled though a gap in the fence.

[Mosha]

Where were the parents? The kid didn't just climb down there in ten seconds or less. The parents should be on the hook for buying a replacement gorilla.

BBC - Quoting police. The actions of the parents to be investigated.

In the PC era, everyone knows their rights, but some no longer know their responsibilities.

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

[daveAustin]

I don't blame the zoo or the parents, it's just unfortunate all round. Kids will be kids; it only takes a split second and they're gone. There's only so much a zoo can do to secure their setup, lest it looks like a fortress. Gorilla might have been protecting the kid from the shouts of the crowd and was definitely agitated. As majestic as they are, they're not the sharpest tools in the shed and would have thought nothing of tearing up the kid up out of frustration. The right call and a terrible loss.

[Mosha]

I don't blame the zoo or the parents, it's just unfortunate all round. Kids will be kids; it only takes a split second and they're gone. There's only so much a zoo can do to secure their setup, lest it looks like a fortress. Gorilla might have been protecting the kid from the shouts of the crowd and was definitely agitated. As majestic as they are, they're not the sharpest tools in the shed and would have thought nothing of tearing up the kid up out of frustration. The right call and a terrible loss.

In a place where there is crowds, at that boy's age, my sister and I would have been in a push chair. I do blame the parents.

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[DM07]

I am all for protecting animals and I think Gorillas are amazing...but...people...please!

The moment you put an animal -beautiful and endangered as it may be- above a human child, you need some serious help!

I have one word for the parents, though: if they really threaten to sue the zoo, because of lax security, they should be hit with a baseball - bat!

In fact, I think, that they should be held responsible for the worth of the Gorilla, for all costs involved!

If you can not take care of your 4 year old and then try to blame others, you should better not be parents!

[mopar71]

I haven't read anything yet about the parents wanting to sue the zoo. It is understandable that people would expect that with the way everyone sues everyone these days in the US.

But with the outrage over this, I seriously doubt a judge/jury would award them anything for this.

[daveAustin]

"God protected my child until the authorities were able to get to him."

After reading this comment by the dippy mother, if they do intend to sue the zoo, I hope the zoo countersue.

[Boon Mee]

The Zoo Director is right.

Have a look at this:

Apes Abusing Other Animals...