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

[LaborDayRN]

Apparently there are new, more modern ways to do that even though this zoo hadn't thought it necessary previously. They can consult with the San Francisco Zoo, which still has tigers on display despite one escaping and having to be killed because it was taunted with sticks and rocks thrown at it.

The San Francisco Zoo made important changes. The San Diego Zoo is a world class facility. Even there it's always a work in progress. things are continuously changing. Their gorilla habitat is beautiful, but San Diegans are really behind supporting their zoo. Will there never be another incident? Sadly, with the state of our changing population, where there's a will, there's a way.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Agree to a point. You are right. Professional bull handlers do it all the time to stop the bull from bashing in a downed rider. So they all divert the attention of the bull by multiple people running around. So that could have worked.

But I do disagree with a non professional just jumping in. This could have caused them massive damage like the lady who gotten mauled by her friend's Chimpanzee and lost hands, sight and was totally unrecognizable to this day.

So I think the best method took place in this case inregards to certain things.

But I do agree that the handlers could have diverted the attention of the animal and then shot it if all failed. But I still haven't seen the video. So I don't know.

Honestly Dex, gorilla's don't have "handlers". The keepers, vets etc provide care to a gorilla that is tranquilized. No one goes into an enclosure, or is trained to do so, with an active, adult male gorilla. Harambe wasn't like Coco. He needed to stay 100 percent gorilla in the hopes he would have offspring. Certainly the keepers are trained to get the gorilla's to go to their sleeping/feeding area when keepers need to enter the enclosure. I don't have a link, but it would be my guess that in the 10 minutes they were trying to get the gorilla to leave the child, these efforts were utilized. I think he was more interested in the child than food at that point. JMO

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

RIP Harambe: Fury at 'neglectful' parents of boy who ASKED to play in gorilla's pen before crawling in - forcing zoo to shoot silverback dead while it 'protected' the child

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...e-led-zoo-officials-fatally-shoot-animal.html

 

[LolaMoon08]

I don't know why it angers me so much to hear the mother screaming "Mommy's here!" No, Mom... you weren't there and that is why this happened.

 

[jjenny]

Why didn't they just attract the gorilla with food and grab the kid while the gorilla was eating?

They usually keep the animals hungry
to keep them active and antsy while in the enclosure.

The lion show is soley controlled by giving the animal food as well to direct their attention to where they need to go.

But I agree with others. Once the gorilla started dragging the kid and people are trying to trap him. He could have easily made the kid brain dead in 2 seconds. So the zoo had no choice.

A lion trainer was just killed while cleaning the enclosure. But she died because the zoo shot it with a tranquilizer and it took way too long to take effect. So what do you do. Idk

A tiger, not a lion. And there they justified using tranquilizer instead of a gun because they were afraid bullets would hit her (which seems to be the opposite of the argument the zoo used in gorilla's case). Regardless, it sounds like she was already dead before they even got to the tiger.
"He justified the use of a tranquilizer gun on the tiger instead of using lethal force because the animal stayed close to Konwiser's body and rescuers feared bullets could hit her."
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/28/us/florida-zoo-tiger-timeline/

 

[jjenny]

Mother was screaming, others were screaming. Sounds like the screams agitated the gorilla. Zoo keepers managed to get the two females locked up. But apparently male gorilla went to investigate what was the screaming all about.
:banghead:

 

[jjenny]

Honestly Dex, gorilla's don't have "handlers". The keepers, vets etc provide care to a gorilla that is tranquilized. No one goes into an enclosure, or is trained to do so, with an active, adult male gorilla. Harambe wasn't like Coco. He needed to stay 100 percent gorilla in the hopes he would have offspring. Certainly the keepers are trained to get the gorilla's to go to their sleeping/feeding area when keepers need to enter the enclosure. I don't have a link, but it would be my guess that in the 10 minutes they were trying to get the gorilla to leave the child, these efforts were utilized. I think he was more interested in the child than food at that point. JMO

There were three gorillas in the enclosure when the child got in there. Somehow they were able to distract the two female gorillas and got them into lockdown. I am not sure why they couldn't do the same with the male.

 

[jjenny]

It just occurred to me, this incident went on for 10+ minutes and there were no adults who even gave thought to jumping in after the kid. Even the mother, who can clearly be heard I'm here baby, mama's here. I think it literally did not OCCUR to another human to jump down that cement cliff like that child did. Nor has it occurred to anyone else, in the history of that gorilla exhibit, to do that. I do think, had the gorilla been more accessible, the mother and maybe heroic other adults would have gone in.

It simply - I believe - did not even occur to anyone watching to jump off that cliff. Which should be enough deterrent that zoo facilities would think was enough.

Thankfully they had some common sense to not jump in there. It would have only agitated the gorilla more. Unfortunately they kept on screaming. Screaming agitated the gorilla, according to witnesses, and that's when he dragged the child around.

 

[jjenny]

Honestly Dex, gorilla's don't have "handlers". The keepers, vets etc provide care to a gorilla that is tranquilized. No one goes into an enclosure, or is trained to do so, with an active, adult male gorilla. Harambe wasn't like Coco. He needed to stay 100 percent gorilla in the hopes he would have offspring. Certainly the keepers are trained to get the gorilla's to go to their sleeping/feeding area when keepers need to enter the enclosure. I don't have a link, but it would be my guess that in the 10 minutes they were trying to get the gorilla to leave the child, these efforts were utilized. I think he was more interested in the child than food at that point. JMO

There was another case where kid fell into gorilla enclosure. That gorilla wasn't killed. Zoo keepers managed to get in and get the child without killing the gorilla.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...c-moment-30-years-says-t-wait-kids-there.html

 

[Cricket99]

I kind of agree with you, but I only saw video of the first of the encounter, when the gorilla was actually behaving kind of protectively - and with curiosity - toward the child. Apparently later he began dragging the child through the water, and at that point the child is in imminent danger according to the animal behavior team. In a case like this, it could go badly in a mere moment - and as I understand it, the boy is hospitalized with "non life threatening injuries". So he is injured. If they had lots of time to plan this - like, shooting tear gas into the cage or going in with nets, I'm sure they would have done it.

Here's the link. Seeing it makes me madder - and sadder - at this loss. According to the witness, she overheard the woman who was supervising this boy and several others tell this child several times not to crawl through but he did it anyway.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/video-gorilla-grabs-child-whos-fallen-into-habitat/39774904

I agree, I am very sad for the gorilla - however, they had no choice. They couldn't just stand by and wait to see what he was going to do even though it appeared he was not going to intentionally harm the little guy. I can't imagine being a parent and watching this happen to your child. Kids get into everything at that age - it looks like a ways down so he must have fallen? once through the fence. I blame the zoo completely.

 

[Cricket99]

Is there a video showing if you could get over the fence to get into the enclosure? It seems you would scale the fence and try to distract the gorilla long enough for a zookeeper to grab the child.

 

[Cricket99]

I don't know why it angers me so much to hear the mother screaming "Mommy's here!" No, Mom... you weren't there and that is why this happened.

I know this is frustrating but Mom's can't be everywhere 100% of the time. It is just an unfortunate incident - not Mom's fault IMO

 

[jjenny]

Is there a video showing if you could get over the fence to get into the enclosure? It seems you would scale the fence and try to distract the gorilla long enough for a zookeeper to grab the child.

Well, the kid certainly got in over the fence and into the enclosure. I am sure they could have gotten somebody in there on ladder or something like that.

 

[jjenny]

I agree, I am very sad for the gorilla - however, they had no choice. They couldn't just stand by and wait to see what he was going to do even though it appeared he was not going to intentionally harm the little guy. I can't imagine being a parent and watching this happen to your child. Kids get into everything at that age - it looks like a ways down so he must have fallen? once through the fence. I blame the zoo completely.

Witness said she heard the kid telling mother he wants to get into the water. So sure sounds like he intentionally gotten into the enclosure.

 

[LolaMoon08]

There was another case where kid fell into gorilla enclosure. That gorilla wasn't killed. Zoo keepers managed to get in and get the child without killing the gorilla.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...c-moment-30-years-says-t-wait-kids-there.html

I remember when this happened. I was devastated when Jambo died.

 

[DexterMorgan]

So now the zoos need enclosures for the guest as well as the animals. Wow.

Should we do this at train and subway stations as well. Or should parents simply make sure that their kids stay behind the yellow line or fence or whatever. Jmo.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Well, the kid certainly got in over the fence and into the enclosure. I am sure they could have gotten somebody in there on ladder or something like that.

There are ways that zoo workers could go into the enclosure. They do it all the time to clean, with the gorilla's safely locked away. Let's say a worker did go in, and attempted to take the child from the gorilla. Then what? Does the worker then try to walk away calmly to get the child out? Does the worker turn and run with the child? Gorillas are fast, powerful and intelligent creatures. What if he wanted the child back? Now we have two potential victims instead of one. It's a heartbreaking story..............

 

[jjenny]

There are ways that zoo workers could go into the enclosure. They do it all the time to clean, with the gorilla's safely locked away. Let's say a worker did go in, and attempted to take the child from the gorilla. Then what? Does the worker then try to walk away calmly to get the child out? Does the worker turn and run with the child? Gorillas are fast, powerful and intelligent creatures. What if he wanted the child back? Now we have two potential victims instead of one. It's a heartbreaking story..............

They did it in the previous case to which I posted the link. But here it is again. They jumped into enclosure, got the kid and didn't kill Jumbo the gorilla.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...c-moment-30-years-says-t-wait-kids-there.html

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Lead story on NBC Nightly News.

 

[LolaMoon08]

I know this is frustrating but Mom's can't be everywhere 100% of the time. It is just an unfortunate incident - not Mom's fault IMO

Of course it's the Mother's fault. He was misbehaving and being disobedient. Any Mother would have pulled him away from the event as punishment. Instead, she allowed it to continue and the boy did exactly what he said he was going to do.

Would it have been fair to the other children to be punished for the boys behavior? No, but it happened to us all the time growing up. If one of my siblings was misbehaving and my Mother was the only one watching us, we all had to leave. That was just the way it was. What is the saying? One rotten apple can spoil the bunch?

And yes, I understand accidents happen, but this was completely avoidable had she taken control of the unruly child instead of turning a blind eye to his behavior.