Thread: Cincinnati gorilla killed after boy falls into zoo enclosure

Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo is pictured in this undated handout photo provided by Cincinnati Zoo.
REUTERS/CINCINNATI ZOO/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

A male gorilla in the Cincinnati Zoo was killed by keepers on Saturday after he dragged around a 4-year-old boy who fell into the enclosure, a zoo official said.

The boy crawled through a barrier and fell about 12 feet (3.7-meters) into a moat surrounding the habitat, where Harambe, a 400-pound (181-kg) western lowland gorilla, grabbed him, Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard told reporters.

The boy was with the 17-year-old gorilla for about 10 minutes and the zoo's dangerous animal response team deemed the situation life-threatening, he said.

"The choice was made to put down, or shoot, Harambe, so he's gone," he said.

Two female gorillas were also in the enclosure at the time of the incident. Maynard said the boy, who was not identified, was not seriously injured in the fall. In a statement, the zoo said the boy was alert when taken to a hospital.

Harambe was born at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, and was moved to the Cincinnati Zoo in 2014. Western lowland gorillas are classified as an endangered species, and Maynard said the zoo had hoped to use Harambe for breeding.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Paul Simao)

Cincinnati gorilla killed after boy falls into zoo enclosure | Reuters

Shame to have to kill such a magnificent animal because some stupid parent wasn't watching his/her kid.

Shoot the friggin' parent , eh.

Where was this "dangerous animal response team" from...Ferguson ?

Was a verterinary tranquilizer 'gun' kit not available at the zoo ?

Sad indeed. What breed was the child ?
[PC not applicable at zoo (animal prison).]

Profiling again. Sad result indeed for the "western lowland" (African) gorilla.

^Agree. Once the kid was in there, it was a liability issue for the zoo.

Four year old kids are fast - you've got to keep an eye on them every second. When my twins were four, one would distract you while the other did a runner.

no doubt the parents want to know how the zoo was so negligent as to make it possible for a human to get into the gorilla cage.

Originally Posted by Kurgen

The parents should be sued for the costs involved in replacing the gorilla, IMO.

If the parents are asinine enough to sue the zoo for the injuries the child did incur, and they probably will be, that would be a great response.

Pity the gorilla was captured and imprisoned in the zoo in the first place.

Parents should not be taking their children to look at captured animals.

Sad outcome.

Put the parents at least 2 weeks in the gorilla enclosure.

They saved a little boys life. Job well done.

Originally Posted by taxexile

Pity the gorilla was captured and imprisoned in the zoo in the first place.

Parents should not be taking their children to look at captured animals.

Yep...
This basic point is surely not understood nor adhered to.


We are a terribly mixed-up and backward species.

What a bunch of complete morons the police and zoo staff must be, to kill that gorilla.

The video clearly shows it helping the boy to stand, and in the 10 minutes he was in there, apparently there was no threatening behaviour.

The animal world is FULL of stories in which animals have recognized the young of other animals and humans as being in need of help and aiding them when they're in trouble.

Sharpshooters could have easily sighted in the gorilla's head as the kid was being recovered, and only shot if behaviour deteriorated.

CRETINS !

How fast would a tranquiliser dart have put the big guy to sleep?. Anyone who's ever had full anesthetic knows you're out like a light instantly, surely there must have been an option on hand - at a zoo of all places - to dart him and get the kid out so everyone wins?.

Originally Posted by Headworx

How fast would a tranquiliser dart have put the big guy to sleep?. Anyone who's ever had full anesthetic knows you're out like a light instantly, surely there must have been an option on hand - at a zoo of all places - to dart him and get the kid out so everyone wins?.

If the enclosure is build so badly that a child can crawl in, then I don't expect this 3 country zoo to have a good medic department or tranquilizer guns.

Lock up the management of this zoo incl. the parents.

gorilla looked a bit black. Bang!

Originally Posted by tunk

They saved a little boys life. Job well done.

Job well done would have been not to kill the gorilla and safe the boy.

Pretty fucked up story all round. Hate to see magnificent animals in zoos anyway.

Hope the kid goes on to work in conservation, or at least watch a David Attenborough series.

RIP Silverback

Originally Posted by Headworx

How fast would a tranquiliser dart have put the big guy to sleep?. Anyone who's ever had full anesthetic knows you're out like a light instantly, surely there must have been an option on hand - at a zoo of all places - to dart him and get the kid out so everyone wins?.

Consider they where even lucky! Imagine the bullet would have not killed and the gorilla goes haywired.

Oh god, Facebook is going to be ramo with comments

Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton

Shame to have to kill such a magnificent animal because some stupid parent wasn't watching his/her kid.

I was going to say they should have thrown the parents in there as a distraction, this kid would be better off without them.

Its the zoos fault for not making the place child and idiot proof. It is in America afterall

Tragic story - no one looks good in the final wash-up.

I have to be honest, and state that if was my son, I would have not complained at the gorilla being shot.

Yeah. Blame the gorilla.

Azzholes.

Oughtta throw his parents to the lions.