@elliebham m posted what I was about to. The quote from the former zookeeper Amanda O’Donoughue is burning up facebook pages.
I am sorry but I can’t avoid blaming the mom. I’ve not said a word about this on Facebook or anywhere until now. I don’t give a dang that kids are “slippery.” No, they aren’t. If you can’t take care of your kids don’t have so many, mom. The truth hurts. She should feel terrible but I am sure she hasn’t blinked other than thanking the zoo for taking decisive action. I don’t believe she expressed sadness for the G’s death and it wouldn’t sway my mind one iota if she did. She has how many kids … I believe I heard three or four and she might have been there with other kids too not sure about that. She gets no free passes from me. After thinking about it for a few days, I blame her. Yup.
They had to make a split second decision. Easy to say now the gorilla wasn’t overtly aggressive. Had they let the situation play out, they may well have been able to rescue the kid without killing the animal. In that case, everyone is happy. On the other hand, let it play out and the kid is killed or seriously injured and folks would have been blaming the zoo for not acting sooner when they had the chance. To me, the zoo was being conservative. When human lives are at stake, being conservative in terms of animals is the right call.
BTW, we are incredibly hypocritical when it comes to animals. If you are cute and cuddly or can do work or tricks for us, you are good. Taste good grilled and things aren’t looking too good for you.
“A primate expert says … the ape was not 'overly aggressive”
It is probably more likely than not that they could eventually coax the ape away from the kid, and get him out safely, but if there is even a 1% chance that the boy would be harmed, then you have to protect the kid. I think there was no question that the kid might have been harmed.
If they hadn’t shot the gorilla, and the boy had been killed, the same expert would be on tv asking why they took that chance instead of shooting Harambe.
Cute and cuddly? I wouldn’t describe a gorilla that way. The tragedy is that this magnificient animal is endangered and it’s life had to be wasted. There wouldn’t be any uproar is the dangerous animal was not endangered. As an example, there was not this kind of uproar when the baby bison was euthanized after being put in a van by some stupid tourists at Yellowstone.
I’ve been thinking about what this scene must have been like. The one person I am most sympathetic with (who hasn’t been mentioned yet) is the poor guy who had to shoot the gorilla. ( And I have questions about that. How did they get the gorilla far enough away from the boy to get a clean shot? )
Another FWIW- this was not a “split second decision.” They had 10 minutes to try and figure out what to do.
Not all of us think that way… just sayin 
Split second or 10 minutes, the issue still remains that had they waited to see if the situation had resolved itself with the kid brought to safety without harming the animal, and the kid gotten killed or seriously injured, folks would be blaming the zoo for not saving the kid when they had the chance. Again its the conservative approach. Easy to second guess after the fact because we don’t know what would have happen had the kid remained in the enclosure longer with the animal.
I think it makes little sense to place the blame on the parents. A child’s ability to follow directions or do as they are told is due in equal parts to good parenting and the child’s individual temperament. I too have a son who at that age was prone to running off. He was also very adept at observing me and picking the most opportune times to do so. Most of us had more than one child to attend to when we were on outings. It can be quite a feat to guard each child 100% of the time. We do the very best that we can.
I too feel terrible about the gorilla. Especially since it does seem that there was some chance that he would do the child no harm. But let’s be honest, if it were one of our own children in that moat with the gorilla, every one of us would hope that the zoo officials would have taken the same action. This was a travesty but a decision that had to be made.
The father was not there, and I am having a hard time figuring out why he is being blamed, and his past being re litigated. There is a woman who was there when it happened, right next to the mom, and she says it was an accident.
Since we cannot link FB, I will copy her post. Since this is hitting local news, I am seeing things that the national news does not have.
"My family and I decided to go to the zoo yesterday after visiting my neice at Cincinnati Childrens hospital. For those of you that have already heard, there was a terrible accident there yesterday. And since every news media has covered this story, I don’t feel bad telling our side. This was an accident! ! A terrible accident, but just that! My husband’s voice is the voice talking to the child in one of the videos. I was taking a pic of the female gorilla, when my eldest son yells, "what is he doing? " I looked down, and to my surprise, there was a small child that had apparently, literally “flopped” over the railing, where there was then about 3 feet of ground that the child quickly crawled through! ! I assumed the woman next to me was the mother, getting ready to grab him until she says, "Whose kid is this? " None of us actually thought he’d go over the nearly 15 foot drop, but he was crawling so fast through the bushes before myself or husband could grab him, he went over! The crowed got a little frantic and the mother was calling for her son. Actually, just prior to him going over, but she couldn’t see him crawling through the bushes! She said “He was right here! I took a pic and his hand was in my back pocket and then gone!” As she could find him nowhere, she lookes to my husband (already over the railing talking to the child) and asks, “Sir, is he wearing green shorts? " My husband reluctantly had to tell her yes, when she then nearly had a break down! They are both wanting to go over into the 15 foot drop, when I forbade my husband to do so, and attempted to calm the mother by calling 911 and assure her help was on the way. Neither my husband or the mother would have made that jump without breaking something! I wasn’t leaving with my boys, because I didn’t trust my husband not to jump in and the gorilla did just seem to be protective of the child. It wasn’t until the gorilla became agitated because of the nosey, dramatic, helpless crowd; that the gorilla violently ran with the child! And it was very violent; although I think the gorilla was still trying to protect, we’re taking a 400 lb gorilla throwing a 40 lb toddler around! It was horrific! The zoo responded very quickly, clearing the area and attempting to save both the child and the gorilla! The right choice was made. Thank God the child survived with non-life threatening, but serious injuries! This was an open exhibit! Which means the only thing separating you from the gorillas, is a 15 ish foot drop and a moat and some bushes! ! This mother was not negligent and the zoo did an awesome job handling the situation! Especially since that had never happened before! ! Thankful for the zoo and their attempts and my thoughts and prayers goes out to this boy, his mother and his family.”
I cannot honestly say that one of my kids got away temporarily, and by the grace of God, nothing happened. There is no difference than a child being lost at a park or a store, where he/she could have been kidnapped, molested or who knows what else. Yes, it is tragic, those animals are magnificent. Ive been to cincy zoo more times than I can count, but this was an accident. The death threats and such that the parents are receiving are just too much.Now Cincinnati Police are investigating her. I am also questioning why the father is being blamed, and his past, when there have been other tragic events at zoos, and none of the names have been released, and none of their pasts have been discussed.
Let me also add, that if she were to be charged with negligence, I would have no problem with that. I do struggle with folks castigating her, but in the same breath defend parents who “accidentally” leave their kids in the car who die from the heat.
I still remember being shocked and terrified that my 9 month old child had wriggled his hand free and walked into the middle of the street in front of a moving car (first and only time). Fortunately the driver was able to stop in time, but I’m sure the driver thought I was an awful parent. Kids are master escape artists and I’m glad that most of them survive their childhood. It sounds like there are many sides to the story, and all I can say is that I’m grateful that the situation was resolved as well as the zoo could manage given the circumstances.
Wild creatures can damage with or without intent. They are simply VERY strong and humans are just very weak in comparison. I have no knowledge of how exhibits are designed and what the standards are for them. I know that we visited a TON of zoos all over the US when my kids were young, through the time S started college and fortunately did not ever experience the tragic event like the gorilla and young child.
If you could save one human child (one unrelated and unknown to you), or 1000 gorillas, what would you choose? How about one child or all the gorillas in the world?
^^^^ but you can’t. The situation between 1 child and 1000 gorillas can’t and won’t happen and I won’t waste any mental energy on it.
My kid got lost. At the zoo, during a big public event at Halloween. One minute my little witch was there, and then she wasn’t. As noted by others, occasionally you need to turn and look at another of your children. D was a good kid, and had no intention of taking off or exploring animal enclosures solo, but we got separated for about 10 minutes, scaring us both. Hard things happen. We expect perfection in zoo design, in parenting and aim for both. Yet there is no forgiveness it seems for any error, despite best of intent.
We keep coming back to this; how easy it is to lose a child. I agree with that except in this case the kid said loud and clear that he was going in. I doubt any of you would have let your child go missing if they told you they were going to disappear. Don’t make this forgetful parenting issue. This isn’t that. There was no fence as I undetstand it since it is an open exhibition and the kid said he was going it. Not just once. This isn’t a child gone missing without meaning to. He meant to and the mom knew about it and now the gorilla is dead.
Has anyone mentioned the crazy dramatic screaming crowd?
I would have expected that the crowd would have hushed as not to feed the situation.
So another place for blame. They really disappointed in their understanding of what such
a situation needed. Had everyone gone silent…
The news just said the parents of the boy who fell into the gorilla exhibit are “under investigation”, whatever that entails.
@partyof5 - perhaps you have not followed the case of the boy who died in the hot car in Atlanta? That was national news, and the dad is going to be tried for murder. The mom’s background was also all over the news. She has now divorced the dad. http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/01/us/justin-ross-harris-trial-explainer/
We don’t hear much about the child so far.
Not that it hugely matters, but has it been clarified whether the young boy is 3 or 4? The news articles are inconsistent about this.
@jym626 I am very aware of that case, but it doesnt change my thoughts about this case. . Im tired of the disparate treatment of some parents, and then others you dont hear a peep. It is ludicrous that the father is being blamed, when he wasnt there. There are too many cases to count of parents who left their children in hot cars to die, and not one petition is circulating. Yes, you have a few cases, like the one in Atlanta, but by in large, not a peep.
Oh, I hadn’t heard that there were parents being castigated and threatened all over for leaving their kids alone in cars for seconds.