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

[JeannaT]

He is a gorilla, not Mary Poppins.

I wasn't thinking he was Mary Poppins. I was wondering if the gorilla carried him up the ladder as a gorilla would carry its young, or if the child was dangling by a leg, like he was swinging him around in the water.

??? What's going on in this conversation? Can we remain civil?

 

[jjenny]

I wasn't thinking he was Mary Poppins. I was wondering if the gorilla carried him up the ladder as a gorilla would carry its young, or if the child was dangling by a leg, like he was swinging him around in the water.

??? What's going on in this conversation? Can we remain civil?

He is a male gorilla. I don't think he would be responsible for carrying its young. We know the kid had some scrapes and a concussion (which he could have easily sustained during his 15 feet fall). So it certainly doesn't appear that gorilla hurt him.

 

[AlwaysShocked]

The zoo had their gorillas in an enclosure that small children could easily enter. A four year old child easily entered the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Read those sentences again. Because they are almost unbelievable.

It is just a wonder that something like this never happened before.

 

[JeannaT]

ALL I asked was, what did it look like when the gorilla carried this boy up the ladder into the habitat, as described by the zookeepers, but wasn't recorded on video. I wondered if he was carried violently, or with some degree of care.

 

[JeannaT]

The zoo had their gorillas in an enclosure that small children could easily enter. A four year old child easily entered the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Read those sentences again. Because they are almost unbelievable.

It is just a wonder that something like this never happened before.

Do you really wonder why it hadn't happened before? With 38 years of his exhibit, millions of people walking by, do you really wonder why no one plunged themselves into the 15 foot cement pit gorilla habitat? I'll answer that. Because most people going to the zoo don't want to die that day.

 

[pet friend]

I am in 100% agreement with what you have said.

 

[LinasK]

The zoo had their gorillas in an enclosure that small children could easily enter. A four year old child easily entered the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo.

Read those sentences again. Because they are almost unbelievable.

It is just a wonder that something like this never happened before.

It wasn't easy or it would've happened before. He was determined. He crawled/climbed around fencing, through ropes/wires and dense shrubbery before making the jump into the moat. This was no accident!

 

[Montjoy]

Do you really wonder why it hadn't happened before? With 38 years of his exhibit, millions of people walking by, do you really wonder why no one plunged themselves into the 15 foot cement pit gorilla habitat? I'll answer that. Because most people going to the zoo don't want to die that day.

But that 4 year old child did want to die? Seriously?

 

[Mrs G Norris]

Let's face it, no matter what a four year old child should not be able to make their way into a gorilla enclosure, that's just crazy.

 

[jennapuppy]

I'm pretty sure that I read upthread that one of the closest witnesses said that his mom had no chance of stopping him, nor did she. The mom was occupied with other kids, and the incident took very little time at all.

So, I don't think the mom is to blame here. It's as if any child surpassed a barrier when her/his mom was focused on dealing with other children. I don't blame the child, as kids are as curious or as adventurous as they can be. So that leaves me with the zoo, which is not only responsible for thousands of animal species. Why not protect both equally?

I mean, would you put your money or valuables into an enclosure that a 4 year old could breach? And if breaching that threshold meant destroying the valuables, would you think that was ok?

In this case, a 4 year old breached a threshold that resulted in (what I consider) something beyond monetary value being destroyed. I think that says something about those who designed the structure meant to protect the gorillas. And that's why I do not blame the child's parents, or the people who shot the gorilla.

I taught Kdg and PreK for 33 years, and I have taken scores of field trips to various zoos and wildlife parks with large groups of young children. Not once in 33 years did I ever have a child try to climb a fence or attempt to enter an enclosure. Before every outing, expectations were discussed with the students and I required the most active ones to stay by my side at all times. I agree that children are naturally curious and that is why they need clear cut boundaries in a situation such as this.
IMO

 

[Montjoy]

I taught Kdg and PreK for 33 years, and I have taken scores of field trips to various zoos and wildlife parks with large groups of young children. Not once in 33 years did I ever have a child try to climb a fence or attempt to enter an enclosure. Before every outing, expectations were discussed with the students and I required the most active ones to stay by my side at all times. I agree that children are naturally curious and that is why they need clear cut boundaries in a situation such as this.
IMO

I honor your service. At the same time, I have a hard time accepting that a 4 year old should bear the same responsibility as a large institution managed by adult professionals who should be obliged to protect both spectators and exhibits alike.

 

[jennapuppy]

I honor your service. At the same time, I have a hard time accepting that a 4 year old should bear the same responsibility as a large institution managed by adult professionals who should be obliged to protect both spectators and exhibits alike.

Perhaps you misunderstood the point I was trying to make. The safety of young children is primarily the responsibility of the adult of who takes them to the zoo, or mall or any public place. This begins by establishing boundaries and guidelines beforehand, and then enforcing them. I'm not pointing fingers at this child whatsoever.

 

[CoolJ]

I think when most people take their 4 yr old children to a zoo to view dangerous beasts, they ASSUME there would be no possible way their child could get into contact with the beast. Yes, of course, every parent should have control of their 4 yr old child at all times. That's just common sense. If they are walking down a busy street(I've seen this analogy used in this thread) there is an obvious danger the child could wander into oncoming traffic. This here is a danger that isn't so obvious. You go to a Zoo thinking you are completely safe from the beasts. Or at least you should be. Shouldn't you?

I'm sorry but when a zoo takes an animal out of its natural habitat, IMO they become totally responsible for the well being of the animal. If their "safety features" allow a child to roam into an area where they have to shoot the animal to save the child, it is the Zoo who is at fault.

Legally I think they would call this "assumption of risk". I don't think there is much assumption of risk when you go to a zoo.

Now, if this was a wild African Safari and a parent let their child wander into the wild, it would be a different story. The assumption of risk on an African Safari would be much greater than the Cincinnati(or wherever) Zoo.

JMO

 

[drjones]

And now we have reached the point where facebook rumors are being repeated as established facts. Bravo.

 

[drjones]

 

[nbritt]

Okay people...lets go over this.

1. Jack Hanna, animal expert, agrees with killing the gorilla.
2. The zoo keepers tried using food to motivate the animal, it did not work.
3. The child was being dragged around and his head was banging concrete.
4. Tranqs, take to long to work.
5. This animal was not like, Coco or Jambo, he had been kept as "wild" as possible in hopes of breeding him.

In my opinion this mother was not making her kid behaver, but we don't let kids get killed because they are acting up.

 

[jjenny]

Okay people...lets go over this.

1. Jack Hanna, animal expert, agrees with killing the gorilla.
2. The zoo keepers tried using food to motivate the animal, it did not work.
3. The child was being dragged around and his head was banging concrete.
4. Tranqs, take to long to work.
5. This animal was not like, Coco or Jambo, he had been kept as "wild" as possible in hopes of breeding him.

In my opinion this mother was not making her kid behaver, but we don't let kids get killed because they are acting up.

He was not "wild" exactly. He was hand raised in his previous zoo from the day he was born.
http://www.wlwt.com/news/handsome-harambe-remembered-by-former-caretaker/39797674

 

[FL Wannabe]

Unfortunately, I agree with nbritt.... well, unfortunately because of the outcome, not the sentiments.

There were other gorillas in the enclosure that were called out and responded. This one did not. He didn't come when food was offered. The whole ordeal took ten minutes - we don't see the whole thing on video (unless I missed something) but I think the crowd was making him agitated. I see protective behavior, but also defiance(???). As in, it's mine and you can't make me give it up.

It's sad to lose such a majestic animal, but I think the right thing was done.

Sent from my KFSOWI using Tapatalk

 

[skinnycat]

Um, sorry to break it to you, but somebody just did accidentally fall into that gorilla enclosure.

No he did not accidentally fall in, he intentionally went in, and he even stated that he was going to go in.

There is a difference between accidental and intentional.

If mom couldn't control that many children in public she shouldn't have had them in public, she needs to take responsibility for herself and her children.

 

[rob]

Is it normal for a 4 yr old to jump down into water from 15 feet?
Would the same child climb unto a bench and jump over the railing at a mall to the lower level? Or at their home?
To me, that is unusual.
All MOO