Backlash Against Cincinnati Zoo for Shooting Gorilla

[icyfroth]

The mother of the little boy who fell into a gorilla enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo has hit back at critics saying society is quick to judge when 'accidents happen'.

Michelle Gregg took to Facebook following a public backlash after 17-year-old Herambe was captured on camera dragging her four-year-old boy, believed to be called Isaiah, around the moated area of the enclosure.

At one point, it appears that Herambe is holding hands with the little boy, as he stands protectively over him shielding him from the screaming crowd.
The silverback gorilla held the boy for about 10 minutes before he was shot by a dangerous animal response team, the head of Cincinnati Zoo said on Saturday.

The boy's mum said on Facebook: “I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers today. What started off as a wonderful day turned into a scary one.
“For those of you that have seen the news or been on social media, that was my son that fell in the gorilla exhibit at the zoo.
"God protected my child until the authorities were able to get to him.
My son is safe and was able to walk away with a concussion and a few scrapes ... no broken bones or internal injuries.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/31717600/witnesses-say-gorilla-was-trying-to-protect-child-after-f...

I dunno...
I think it's sad that such a magnificent animal had to be killed, but it's my opinion the Gorilla would have toyed with the boy until it killed him.
It could have gone either way. I think the Zoo made the right decision.

[this-one-time-at-bandcamp]

And yet Koko took care of kittens for decades............

[esayaf]

The parents need to be held accountable for their child crawling into the enclosure. What was the mother doing while he crawled in past the barriers, probably was on Facebook at the time.

[lurker172602]

I get what you are saying esayaf, but hopping onto the parents case wasn't going to do anything to get the child out of danger was it.  They are separate issues.  One is about bad (or not) parenting and the other is what to do for the child in that moment.

[electric*mayhem*band]

To quote the old adage:  'Damned if you do, damned if you don't'.

[esayaf]

Yes, at the time that was correct but now the gorilla is dead and the child is "safe" (exactly how safe a child with such an unattentive mother is) something must be done to punish the parents.
The gorilla lost it's life due to the inaction of an adult. This adult now needs to suffer the consequences of such inaction

[davidc4430]

in this world we need to make sure when we build an enclosure to seperate wild animals from wild humans, we actually allow for the fact there are some wild humans who do stupid things.

so making an enclosure where its possible for a wild human to either accidentally or on purpose end up inside the enclosure with the wild animal is a design for disaster.

the whole removing the bars idea was a bad idea, come on enclosure deigners, rethink the 'how to keep wild humans and wild animals apart in zoos.

this isnt the first time humans and animals have wound up together in a zoo enclosure, wont be the last.

i cant make a decision on the shooting of the animal, i wasn't there.

[youcandoityoucandoityoucandoit]

Whats your suggestion re 'This adult now needs to suffer the consequences of such inaction' ?

I guess they couldnt use the stun gun cause it would take too long to be effective?

Sad, sad day at Cincinnati Zoo.. 

[lloydslights]

The Cincinatti Zoo should have better barriers for the animals - to keep trespassers from the animal enclosures.

That poor little boy.  The incident will never be forgotten by him.

DEB

[lloydslights]

An article from The Monthly 9 years ago about humans being in a zoo enclosure as an exhibition. 

https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2007/march/1276232616/ashley-hay/human-zoo