Cincinnati Zoo kills gorilla after child gets into his cage, May 28, 2016

[monster12]

I'll judge her harshly! Because she couldn't control her son beyond a simple "No, no" whether she had a baby in her arms, multiple other little kids to watch, or was on Facebook on her phone- an animal that was an endangered species had to needlessly die because of her brat!!!

The kid shouldn't have been that close to the fencing alone. Unless he had practice climbing through that type of fencing, it would've taken quite a few seconds to work his way through. That's not a blink of an eye. Grrrrrr.


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[LinasK]

I don't feel they should have to prevent people from getting in. People need to adhere to signs and use common sense of not entering areas with animals. Just as they would in any other public area such as airports, malls, Etc. If the person is unable to read or follow those guidelines due to age or whatever the case may be, then the person responsible for them needs to be making sure they are save and not entering restricted areas.

What would and could have happened differently will never be known. It could have ended badly or the animal could've led the boy to safety without hurting him. But nobody knows that and if they would have done something else and the child was killed, everyone would be blaming the animal. But everyone wants to blame someone whether it be the zoo or parent or structural design instead of just admitting that the child should've been watched for and not left to even have the chance to walk into those areas. If the parent is too occupied by other children or whatever else, they should've brought more help or had the children in a wagon or stroller. Society is turning into a "not my fault" place and a wonderful animal had to pay the price.


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Yup! And in that Daily Mail article- on Facebook- the mother is now defending herself, acting like she did nothing wrong!!! Uh lady, if you don't have your hands free and can't watch 4 little kids at a zoo with dangerous animals, maybe you should have more adult help and not be on your phone!!! :banghead::banghead::banghead:Simply yelling "No,no" is NOT enough, I would've hauled that kid out of the area, and maybe even left the zoo altogether as a punishment until he learns to mind.

 

[lonetraveler]

Thanks, Angiebla. I'm really upset. Maybe I should just stop it at that. I am not sure I agree that a very endangered and rare gorilla should be shot and killed because a completely unsupervised child wandered into his cage. The endangered and rare gorilla is held captive, for our personal pleasure, and this kid breeches all barriers and now the captive gorilla is shot for being in the same enclosure.

I REALLY hope the family feels the need to give back, in an enormous way, for the loss of this male gorilla, because they were nowhere to be found when their child breeched 3 barriers to get into the enclosure.

I feel the exactly the same. I'm very upset and very angry. In the last week two magnificent lions were shot at a zoo in Chile due to a man who wanted to commit suicide by lion. He wrote a suicide note, took his clothes off and climbed into the lion habitat. An adult male lion and a female were shot by zoo personnel to save the idiot who wanted to die. FYI he survived. Now we have another magnificent animal, a Silver-back male gorilla, shot by zoo personnel to save a child. At this point I fully support two things, electric charged fences to keep people out of the animal habitats and a mandatory leash law for children at all zoos. Yes, I said 'leashes for children'. There are leash laws for dogs, to protect them as well as protect others from the dog, why not to protect the children and to protect innocent animals from being put down? Children dart off, run off and disappear in crowds. This would fix that situation. I'm not saying anymore in order to keep from being banned.

 

[lonetraveler]

Comparing this incident to San Francisco zoo's is like comparing apples to oranges. In San Francisco, an animal got out. The enclosure was not up to the standards. They actually did have prior incidents of animals almost getting out of the enclosure. In Cincinnati, witness reports she heard the kid saying he wants to get into the water (in the enclosure, mother told him NO) and sounds like the kid did just exactly that. The enclosure isn't designed to keep people out who are determined to get in and are willing to jump 12 feet into the water.

I fully support electric fences to keep people out of animal enclosures.

 

[lonetraveler]

Haven't seen it, but I can't say I'm sorry for her:snootyoor parenting on her part! Glad the kid survived, but at a terrible, needless cost! Hope the brat learned his lesson.

The mother probably has an attorney already drawing up the legal documents to file suit against the zoo.

 

[Mrs G Norris]

The mother is making it worse by trying to defend herself, her best bet would be to say nothing or just how terribly sorry and heartbroken she is.

 

[lonetraveler]

My youngest son was a handful. He was walking/running at 9 months, caught swinging from our chandelier at 10 months and could unbuckle his car seat and unlock doors around the same time. The child was a walking tornado. Knowing all of this, we put locks at the top of the doors. He got out once because my husband brother, even though he was told he had to let one of us know when he walked out the door,he didn't. We had a stranger bring my baby up to our house and I have never been more frightened or angry but it never happened again. My job became to assume no one would do what needed to be done for our little guy (my gosh, I wasn't sure I was capable.) I was the mother who "leashed" her child (actually, the leash only lasted a few weeks because he quickly found that all he had to do was lean away long enough and the leash would come undone...he is still too smart for his own good!) and did everything to circumvent my child's demise despite his seeming death wish. So, it really bothers me this parent did not anticipate her child's actions. I assume he was a child like mine was and I KNEW I always had to have a hand on him or his hand on me at all times. Children are curious and some VERY energetic, but we as parents know this by the time the child is 3 or 4 and it is our responsibility to keep them safe.

I have two girls and seven grandchildren. They knew that if they did not hold my hand, then we would leave and not return. I'm wondering if the mother was txting and not paying attention. I do hope that she doesn't go to another zoo again.

 

[KaaBoom]

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-assumption-of-risk.htm

Idk but would guess there were signs posted near animal enclosures. The mom shouldn't have allowed her child to enter the enclosure. I know moms get distracted and it should not be that easy for a kid to breach a barrier. I read somewhere (sorry no link) that the child crawled under the fence. If it was that easy then maybe the enclosure needs to modified.

I'm glad the child wasn't seriously injured and I'm very sorry Harambe lost his life.

1. Putting up signs doesn’t change the laws.
2. I have seen no reports that the mom allowed the child to enter the enclosure.
3. The exhibit will stay closed until it can be modified. The enclosure is obviously totally inadequate. If you look at the video I posted above, you can see that the railing is less then waste high even on very small children. I have visited a few zoos, and have never seen a railing that low. A tall person could almost trip over it and fall into the moat.

 

[sonjay]

I don't feel they should have to prevent people from getting in. People need to adhere to signs and use common sense of not entering areas with animals. Just as they would in any other public area such as airports, malls, Etc. If the person is unable to read or follow those guidelines due to age or whatever the case may be, then the person responsible for them needs to be making sure they are save and not entering restricted areas.

What would and could have happened differently will never be known. It could have ended badly or the animal could've led the boy to safety without hurting him. But nobody knows that and if they would have done something else and the child was killed, everyone would be blaming the animal. But everyone wants to blame someone whether it be the zoo or parent or structural design instead of just admitting that the child should've been watched for and not left to even have the chance to walk into those areas. If the parent is too occupied by other children or whatever else, they should've brought more help or had the children in a wagon or stroller. Society is turning into a "not my fault" place and a wonderful animal had to pay the price.

BBM. I agree.

I think the zoos have a responsibility to make design enclosures so that the animals can't get out, and so that visitors cannot accidentally fall into one. And that's where I think their responsibility should end. At some point, people need to shoulder the responsibility for their own actions, and parents need to shoulder the responsibility to properly supervise their children.

 

[2Hope4]

Personal accountability is lacking in this world. When you chose to bring a child into this world, it is YOUR responsibility to care for and raise the child, protecting them from the dangers that exists. Would we blame the woodstove if a the child had jumped onto it while a fire was going? NO! Parents are to parent! Every interaction you have with them is a parenting decision. Every interaction your actions are teaching them whether you are aware or not. Kids learn from watching adults.

This little boy didn't learn to not listen overnight. It has been instilled in him from his interactions with adults. Parents have been neglectful in teaching him that NO does mean NO! Generations of humans that have taught their kids the meaning can't be wrong. It's not an impossible feat! We expect dogs to learn a human language and expect them to obey commands, yet don't expect a human child to understand human language and obey commands. Give the kids more credit than that! They are sponges readily willing to absorb! They will absorb what is fed to them.

I wasn't there, and don't know how I would have acted. I do know just last week, I was at a grocery store, and a child with autism traits was running through the store barefoot, while an adult male was trying to catch him. I surprised myself in my action. I actually wondered how the adult was going to react if I intervened rather than just stopping the child. I stood there thinking to myself what I should do instead of just doing something to help! Speaking to the child may have been enough to stop him, but yet I didn't! I'm still not sure why I acted the way I did.

We as a society have changed. The saying 'it takes a village to raise a child' use to hold meaning. Multi-generations lived in close proximity and all had a role in raising the kids. Now if someone corrects someone else's child, you don't know whether you'll be verbally or physically assaulted by the parents. It's a strange phenomenon to witness, and I'm only in my 40's! My what our elders must be thinking! What was wrong is now right, and what was right is now wrong! The family unit has changed so much that having grandparents and both parents present in a child's life is almost the minority now. Sorry, off on a tangent there!

A wonderful, gorgeous, endangered gorilla is now deceased. He can't be brought back to life. Even if his sperm could be harvested, his role in helping to improve the species is gone. Even if one of the female gorillas could be pregnant by him already, his role in the band is gone. Just as each family member in a human family has a role in their family, so does each member of a primate family. Nothing can replace Haramba. No other male gorilla can fill his role. Devastating to the silver back gorillas. Devastating to the zoo caretakers that have been there for his 17yrs.

My hope is the parents of this child understand NOW the importance in raising a child, not just a bystander. There's nothing we can do to bring Haramba back. There's plenty that can be done to insure this child becomes a well rounded adult, with a promising future. He is thankfully still here for another chance. He's very fortunate to not have suffered severe injuries in not only the fall, but being in the enclosure with three gorillas. Had either gorilla wanted him dead, he would be. There was ample time for either of them to kill the child if they wanted to. I pray the little boy's family truly realizes how fortunate they are.

RIP Harambe. Just one day after turning 17yrs old, and your life tragically ends through no fault of yours.

JMO as always...

 

[monster12]

1. Putting up signs doesn’t change the laws.
2. I have seen no reports that the mom allowed the child to enter the enclosure.
3. The exhibit will stay closed until it can be modified. The enclosure is obviously totally inadequate. If you look at the video I posted above, you can see that the railing is less then waste high even on very small children. I have visited a few zoos, and have never seen a railing that low. A tall person could almost trip over it and fall into the moat.

I understand your point about the railings but a zoo isn't a place to be climbing over or on things. I know you did not say this but you see and hear about it taking place. Kids climbing up on areas they shouldn't be on or taunting animals. A zoo is an attractions for people to visit to watch and look at animals. Not to get so close they put themselves or others in danger. But now a days I guess that will all have to be rethought because people don't monitor or obey barriers. Sorry to rant off your post. It wasn't towards you. [emoji5]


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[Ray_of_hope]

I have no problem doing any of those things, either. Or of following a child in a clothing store and saying where is your mother, although the child might be too young to actually understand what I'm saying.

Or catching a child as they were dropping head first toward the concrete floor after they were standing in the kiddie seat in the grocery cart. Of pushing an unaccompanied toddler out of the elevator as the door starts to close.

And really, it's surprising how many other adults stand there looking bemused when those things happened.

I'm with you on every one of these things too. :tyou:

 

[KaaBoom]

The San Francisco tiger attack happened after visitors threw things at the tiger.

Tiger that mauled three teens at San Francisco Zoo appears to have been provoked, report says
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unl...-teens-san-francisco-zoo-provoked-report.html

The tiger named Tatiana killed 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. and injured his friends, brothers Paul and Kulbir Dhaliwal, leaving claw marks etched in the asphalt and claw fragments in the bushes outside its pen. Claw marks were also discovered near the top of the enclosure wall, which was lower than federal safety standards dictate, showing that the big cat was able to get enough leverage to pull itself out.

The zoo admitted they were at fault and paid $900,000 in damages for their wrong doing. Compared to San Francisco, the Cincinnati zoo enclosure looks way more inadequate.

 

[lonetraveler]

As for "awesome job" no I don't believe zoo did an awesome job. I don't think gorilla was trying to kill this kid. If gorilla was trying to kill the kid, the kid would be dead during the 10 minutes he was inside the enclosure. As such, I don't believe shooting was the only option. Why didn't they try to lure gorilla away with food or whatever else he likes? Get the people away from enclosure to stop screaming and agitating the gorilla. Take a little time instead of using lethal force right away.

"Others said the zoo was too quick to take the decision to shoot Harambe. Ian Redmond, chairman of The Gorilla Organization, said zookeepers had other options besides a fatal shot."

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/30/us/gorilla-shot-harambe/

I totally agree with everything you posted.

 

[jjenny]

I'm watching the press conference. Anyone else? Did he say it was the goal to try to replace the gorilla?

Why should anybody send them any more gorillas? They killed the one they had.

 

[LinasK]

I feel the exactly the same. I'm very upset and very angry. In the last week two magnificent lions were shot at a zoo in Chile due to a man who wanted to commit suicide by lion. He wrote a suicide note, took his clothes off and climbed into the lion habitat. An adult male lion and a female were shot by zoo personnel to save the idiot who wanted to die. FYI he survived. Now we have another magnificent animal, a Silver-back male gorilla, shot by zoo personnel to save a child. At this point I fully support two things, electric charged fences to keep people out of the animal habitats and a mandatory leash law for children at all zoos. Yes, I said 'leashes for children'. There are leash laws for dogs, to protect them as well as protect others from the dog, why not to protect the children and to protect innocent animals from being put down? Children dart off, run off and disappear in crowds. This would fix that situation. I'm not saying anymore in order to keep from being banned.

No, traveler, you're not out of line. As I posted earlier, when we went to the video store to rent videos (ancient concept now), my daughter had to wear a leash to prevent her from getting distracted and wandering off to look at kids videos until we were ready to go to that section with her.

 

[jjenny]

The zoo admitted they were at fault and paid $900,000 in damages for their wrong doing. Compared to San Francisco, the Cincinnati zoo enclosure looks way more inadequate.

The tiger got out of San Francisco enclosure. Gorilla was in his enclosure in Cincinnati.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

No, traveler, you're not out of line. As I posted earlier, when we went to the video store to rent videos (ancient concept now), my daughter had to wear a leash to prevent her from getting distracted and wandering off to look at kids videos until we were ready to go to that section with her.

I had kid 'leashes' for my children also. It didn't matter who tsked at me. And it's surprising how many did. Now I make it a point of telling anyone with a child on a harness/leash, or who brings a pet into a store as opposed to leaving them in a car in the torrid Florida sun, that I appreciate them loving their loved ones. Thank you, LinasK for loving your daughter. :tyou:

 

[KaaBoom]

Comparing this incident to San Francisco zoo's is like comparing apples to oranges. In San Francisco, an animal got out. The enclosure was not up to the standards. They actually did have prior incidents of animals almost getting out of the enclosure. In Cincinnati, witness reports she heard the kid saying he wants to get into the water (in the enclosure, mother told him NO) and sounds like the kid did just exactly that. The enclosure isn't designed to keep people out who are determined to get in and are willing to jump 12 feet into the water.

You are right, it was not designed to keep people out. The animal paid the price for that design flaw.

 

[Tulessa]

Part of the problem is, this isn't just a money problem. This gorilla was 17, and still hadn't left any offspring. I don't think he's readily replaceable. The zoo was trying to set up a gorilla colony, a male and two females, and hoped to raise children there in a "gorilla community". So even bringing in a temporary stud wouldn't accomplish replacing him - the babies wouldn't be raised the way baby gorillas are meant to be raised. Sad, sad. He's just not replaceable, even with money.

SMH JeannaT. Stories like this just tear me up inside.