What are your thoughts of the Cincinnati Zoo shooting of the gorilla after the 4 year old boy fell into the habitat of the gorilla?
People are horrified that this healthy 17 year old gorilla was killed. They say there was another way. IDNK. So sad this animal had to die.
Still others say, hoorray, the child was saved. No question this animal had to die given the circumstances. I still DNK. But yes, hooray, the child was saved!
And then there is the question of parents? Were they negligent? Or is the zoo liable? Oh yes, there will most likely be some law suit.
The people who yelled should be blamed too. They should have kept quiet to calm down the gorilla.
I feel sad for the gorilla. But I think the zoo did the right thing. It’s too risky to wait. The gorilla could throw the child to the rock or rift the child’s hands or legs apart at anytime.
Sad story and way too much second guessing by people who know nothing about gorillas and their behavior. Also way too much criticism of the mother. I, like many parents, have lost track of my toddler for a minute. It was a terrifying experience, luckily nothing bad happened, and I was a good parent. It happens.
We are so angry and judgmental these days. Sometimes, bad things happen and no one is at fault - this used to be known as a mistake. The parent lost track of her child for a moment, the gorilla might have injured or killed the child, and the zoo made the best fast decision they could make. Sad outcome for the gorilla. Would people be happier if the child was killed?
I truly hope no lawsuits result. Sometimes unfortunate events take place and it simply is what it is.
A Zoo should be safe enough a child isn’t able to get into an animal enclosure. That was the negligence in my opinion. There should have been barriers that prevented the problem from arising.
But sometimes barriers aren’t good enough to prevent humans from doing stupid things. We had a child die at the Pittsburgh zoo a few years ago due to a parent lifting him up so he could see better over the barrier.
My opinion of zoos has changed a lot over the years. We took our kids to the zoo when they were young, but there were always things about the way the animals were kept that made me uncomfortable. We no longer visit zoos, just as we no longer attend circuses with wild animal acts
First of all, Harambe was not euthanized. Euthanasia implies that the animal was suffering and death was the merciful alternative. Harambe was shot and killed because of human stupidity.
I haven’t quite decided who to blame but considering that the barriers were there for decades without incident, I am not sure I blame the zoo. I’ve been to this zoo and to this exhibit. It was NOT an easy thing to get past the multiple barriers between people and Harambe.
I do not blame the zoo for making the decision to save the child, but I’m not sure who I blame for the child getting in there in the first place.
Maybe we should have age requirements to protect non-human animals.
Am I understanding correctly that there is a very short rail, with bars wide enough for a child to get through, and then nothing to keep that child from falling into the moat, except his own common sense? Which we can’t really expect from toddlers?
Are there barriers that aren’t described in this paragraph? If not, I think it’s just luck this didn’t happen before.
I believe dangerous public places open to children need to be child proofed. I understand there is not much you can do when a parent dangles a child over a barrier, but children shouldn’t be able to breach barriers on their own in this type situation. imho.
eta: the zoo wasn’t protecting the gorillas adequately if humans had this easy an access to their space. If the article describes it correctly.
Just sad all the way around. I don’t fault the zoo. I do wish more toddlers were on leashes, but I know that is not considered politically correct these days. It only takes a moment of inattention. I do think the parent should have immediately taken hold of the child’s hand when he said he wanted to play in the water.
If it were so easy to breach the barrier and fall in, then I think this child wouldn’t have been the first one to do so in the 38 years the exhibition has been open, out of hundreds of thousands of visitors. So I don’t think the zoo was negligent. As for the shooting, the zoo did what was necessary, as unfortunate as it is.
There have been reports that many zoos are changing original enclosures to allow for better "consumer viewing " . This may possibly explain why there have been no previous incidents. Very unfortunate for everyone involved. I’m sure that it was a very difficult for the person having to make the decision and carry out the task.
Sad. Of course we save the child over the animal. Reports say he was heard saying he wanted to go swimming with the gorillas. I reserve judgment on the mom. Kids are slippery sometimes. But isn’t it reasonable to assume the zoo didn’t want anyone in and no one ever had, and a kid went to great lengths to break in?
I don’t like zoo’s in general but I do think that they are saving and protecting some species. Some. But I don’t like putting animals in cages for our entertainment.