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

[creepcrusher]

Fox News is talking about it now.


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[WillenFan21]

I am still unable to figure out why no adult went over that fence to try to get to the boy before he fell. He was seen, and some adults were calling him to come back but no one went in after him. Why not? If the fence was so easy for an adult to scale, why did not one try to intervene? Apparently it all happened very fast and maybe they would not have caught him in time but it sounds like no one tried.

My point exactly! There is so much outrage at the mother but nothing being said about the witnesses.

 

[Mrs G Norris]

Just saw the footage on Fox of the child being dragged around the water. Sadly zoo had no choice IMO, that boy was going to be killed.

 

[LinasK]

I'm sure the mother never thought for a second her child could actually get into an animal enclosure. Anyone would think she lowered the boy in there, then took a selfie of herself with the boy and gorilla in the background and posted it on her wall, the way people are carrying on.

When a child tells you he's going to do something and there is a risk he could have an encounter with a dangerous animal- you act, you pull him away from the rails, from the area, maybe even leave the zoo. You don't wait around to find out if he can circumvent the zoo's enclosures!

 

[LinasK]

I have heard in the media that zoos are looking at their enclosures.

Another good thing, though, might be that parents are telling their kids not to climb in with the gorillas.

The San Francisco Zoo had to after it's tiger leapt the tall moat because guys were pelting it with rocks and sticks.

 

[Mrs G Norris]

When a child tells you he's going to do something and there is a risk he could have an encounter with a dangerous animal- you act, you pull him away from the rails, from the area, maybe even leave the zoo. You don't wait around to find out if he can circumvent the zoo's enclosures!

I'm sure she wishes she had, but at the time didn't think that was possible, she told him no, perhaps she expected obedience. According to witnesses she had him put her hand in her back pocket while she took a photo to maintain contact. Kids can get away in a nanosecond, we all think we'd do the perfect thing and are better than people who have bad things happen, but perhaps we've just been fortunate and should be less judgmental.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

A week ago, if any of us were asked if a small child could get through a zoo barrier into an exhibit with a wild animal, I suspect we all would have thought it impossible. I suspect we all would have been sure the design of the barrier would have been designed to prevent such a thing, for the public safety as well as liability reasons.

If one of my sons at that age said he wanted to swim with the gorilla, I'm sure I would have laughed and said something along the lines of "you think that would be fun?", never dreaming that, even if he tried, it would be possible for him to get through the barrier.

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[KaaBoom]

When a child tells you he's going to do something and there is a risk he could have an encounter with a dangerous animal- you act, you pull him away from the rails, from the area, maybe even leave the zoo. You don't wait around to find out if he can circumvent the zoo's enclosures!

Child: I want to go in the water with the gorilla.
Mom: No! Thats dangerous. That’s it we are leaving right now.

That’s a family that would never go any place, or do anything.

 

[LinasK]

Thanks to all for the links, pictures and opinions. From everything I have read, this was a tragic accident that ended the life of a beautiful endangered gorilla and a 4 yo child was saved from potential harm. Hindsight is 20/20 and it is easy for me to say that the mother should have kept a more watchful eye on her son and blame her. Then it is easy to blame the Zoo for not having 20 foot barbed wire fences or whatever in order to keep people out of the enclosure.

I think every parent has experienced a "moment" with their children. I live in a "glass house", so no stones from me. Hopefully, this tragedy will serve as a reminder to parents to be more vigilant and expose what can happen in a split second. Hopefully, Zoos will look at enclosures with a fresh set of eyes. IMO

Zuri, that's just it. This was no "accident". The kid didn't fall, he announced his intentions and the mother didn't stop him beyond yelling "No, no". She turned her attention to her phone/other kids. She didn't watch him!!! Harambe shouldn't have died because she didn't bother to control her bratty kid!

 

[SophieRose]

Zuri, that's just it. This was no "accident". The kid didn't fall, he announced his intentions and the mother didn't stop him beyond yelling "No, no". She turned her attention to her phone/other kids. She didn't watch him!!! Harambe shouldn't have died because she didn't bother to control her bratty kid!

The woman who took the video was just on CNN, and she said the mother had been watching her children. The mother was with another woman with a small child, and they were getting the children together to leave the exhibit when the boy slipped away very quickly.

 

[Zuri]

I'm sure she wishes she had, but at the time didn't think that was possible, she told him no, perhaps she expected obedience. According to witnesses she had him put her hand in her back pocket while she took a photo to maintain contact. Kids can get away in a nanosecond, we all think we'd do the perfect thing and are better than people who have bad things happen, but perhaps we've just been fortunate and should be less judgmental.

Thank you so much for saying this! Great post!

 

[LinasK]

I'm sure she wishes she had, but at the time didn't think that was possible, she told him no, perhaps she expected obedience. According to witnesses she had him put her hand in her back pocket while she took a photo to maintain contact. Kids can get away in a nanosecond, we all think we'd do the perfect thing and are better than people who have bad things happen, but perhaps we've just been fortunate and should be less judgmental.

No, I will NOT be less judgemental of her!!! She was negligent. My child has been to many zoos as a child. If she had ever announced intentions like that, I would've hauled *advertiser censored* and yanked her out of there so fast her head would spin!!!
P.S. I signed the Justice for Harambe Petition and I'm tempted to sign the one to have CPS investigate Michelle Gregg for neglect!

 

[LinasK]

The woman who took the video was just on CNN, and she said the mother had been watching her children. The mother was with another woman with a small child, and they were getting the children together to leave the exhibit when the boy slipped away very quickly.

Other witnesses claim the mother was on Facebook on her phone/taking pictures/occupied with the baby in her arms and her other little kids. Where was the father when all this was going on???

 

[jjenny]

A week ago, if any of us were asked if a small child could get through a zoo barrier into an exhibit with a wild animal, I suspect we all would have thought it impossible. I suspect we all would have been sure the design of the barrier would have been designed to prevent such a thing, for the public safety as well as liability reasons.

If one of my sons at that age said he wanted to swim with the gorilla, I'm sure I would have laughed and said something along the lines of "you think that would be fun?", never dreaming that, even if he tried, it would be possible for him to get through the barrier.

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Considering it has happened before (and more than once) why exactly would we think that impossible? I certainly didn't.

 

[drjones]

People are taking scant and incomplete information and then exaggerating it to justify their own need to be angry and say hateful things, its disgusting.

 

[1&2&3]

I think everyone is missing my point on this issue. In situations like this, someone usually tries to help. That may or may not be a wise decision but someone will always try to help a kid in harm's way if at all possible. In this situation, no one did, apparently. I am wondering why not. There may be a very good reason why not but if the barrier was practically nonexistent as is being posted here, how is it that every adult in the area was thwarted from jumping over it?

I don't remember which news article it was in or maybe a television station, but there were two pictures of a lady bystander who tried to grab the boy but he was too fast and she did not get him.

 

[SophieRose]

Other witnesses claim the mother was on Facebook on her phone/taking pictures/occupied with the baby in her arms and her other little kids. Where was the father when all this was going on???

I haven't read that in any MSM, facebook rumors have a life of their own and I take them as that. Doesn't sound like the father was there, maybe he was working, maybe she and the female friend decided to take the kids out on a weekend outing. The male voice on the video is the husband of one of the other witnesses.

 

[Wyle_E_Coyote]

Considering it has happened before (and more than once) why exactly would we think that impossible? I certainly didn't.

Perhaps it has. I can't recall a similar instance offhand, and I follow news. Most people don't follow news closely, and would likewise be unaware of the possibility. I am very surprised that the barriers are not specifically designed to prevent the public (at least children) from accessing the exhibit.


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[Zuri]

Zuri, that's just it. This was no "accident". The kid didn't fall, he announced his intentions and the mother didn't stop him beyond yelling "No, no". She turned her attention to her phone/other kids. She didn't watch him!!! Harambe shouldn't have died because she didn't bother to control her bratty kid!

When my daughter was 4, she went through a defiant stage. One day, when I was walking with my 3 young children, walking on the sidewalk at a lovely "strip" of shops, I went to hold her hand. She refused to hold my hand, ripped it away and told me "NO" and darted out into the parking lot. All this as I turned to pick up my 2 year old (my 6 year old was old enough to walk by me). I darted out after her and grabbed her hand, and yanked her back to the sidewalk. I did not expect her to do that at all. It happened so fast and fortunately there were no cars coming. I just about had a heart attack. Not my finest moment in motherhood. Had she been hit by a car, I would never have forgiven myself. And yes, I spanked her hand

 

[jjenny]

Perhaps it has. I can't recall a similar instance offhand, and I follow news. Most people don't follow news closely, and would likewise be unaware of the possibility. I am very surprised that the barriers are not specifically designed to prevent the public (at least children) from accessing the exhibit.


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Well, I can recall a whole bunch. We discussed quite a few of these on this thread.