Killing of gorilla at Ohio zoo to save boy sparks outrage
The shooting of the gorilla after the 4-year-old boy tumbled into his cage has zoo officials defending the use of lethal force.
Click here for reuse options!More than 2,000 people signed a petition on Change.org that sharply criticized the Cincinnati Police Department and the zoo for putting down the animal and called for the child’s parents to be “held accountable for their actions of not supervising their child.”
Cincinnati police on Sunday said the parents had not been charged, but that charges could eventually be sought by the Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney. A spokeswoman for the prosecutor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Authorities did not identify the child or his parents. The family could not be reached on Sunday.
A Facebook page titled “Justice for Harambe” had more than 3,000 likes by Sunday afternoon, a day after the 400-pound (181-kg) gorilla was shot dead about 10 minutes after encountering and dragging the child. The animal, named Harambe, was a Western lowland gorilla, an endangered species, and the zoo said it had intended to use him for breeding.
“If we think it’s acceptable to kill a gorilla who has done nothing wrong, I don’t think our city should have gorillas,” Manvinder Singh posted on the Facebook page.
A blog post on the website for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals questioned why it was necessary to kill the gorilla and whether zoos could meet the needs of such animals.
Copyright 2016 Liberaland
46 responses to Killing of gorilla at Ohio zoo to save boy sparks outrage
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Larry Schmitt May 30th, 2016 at 09:22
How do those “outraged” people suggest the zoo should have handled the situation? Tranquilize the Gorilla? The drug takes several minutes to take effect, and it might enrage him, and they were not sure what he would do to the child. Admittedly the parents were negligent in not controlling their child, but if the gorilla was not to blame, neither was the child. There always seems to be more “outrage” over the death of an animal than over the plight of millions of children, who have also done nothing wrong. How about a little perspective, people?
Suzanne McFly May 30th, 2016 at 10:21
If it wasn’t for the fact those parents didn’t pay attention to their child, that gorilla would be alive. I hate how many humans see the lives of animals as dispensable, as if they don’t matter simply because they aren’t humans. This animal did nothing wrong and he is now dead and that pisses me off.
fahvel May 30th, 2016 at 10:28
you are not alone in the land of pissed off!!!!!!!! Good for you for your effort.
Mensa Member May 30th, 2016 at 10:40
>> those parents were not paying attention to their child,
Do you know that’s a fact? If so, then they should be charged.
anothertoothpick May 30th, 2016 at 10:49
If the parents were paying attention would the kid have been in this situation?
Mensa Member May 30th, 2016 at 11:04
I’d like to know the details before making a judgement. I don’t fault any parent for brief inattention. But, if they were letting the child run wild, that’s criminal negligence.
Candide Gunn May 31st, 2016 at 03:01
Too many people let their children run wild in public, I have been knocked down by children running in a store, no parent in sight.
Suzanne McFly May 30th, 2016 at 11:12
How long does it take a child to get to the point where he is in a cage with a Silver Back Gorilla? That is a lot more time than the child should of not have been accounted for.
Mensa Member May 30th, 2016 at 11:20
You are probably right. This incident deserves a police investigation.
But, I’m a teacher and I see injured kids almost daily. (Thank God, none were under my watch.) It is simply impossible for a parent to be 100% attentive all the time.
If I was a detective, I’d pay close attention to the fence. Did it take a lot of effort for the child to get through? Or did s/he just slip through? That makes a difference to me, regarding the parents culpability.
Suzanne McFly May 30th, 2016 at 11:31
I also teach, but we never would go to a field trip without proper staffing and we are required to watch the kids and know where they are. I would have an attack if a kid that was in my care was not in my sight for a couple of minutes, I understand it takes a lot to keep up with them but that is what adults are supposed to do. And as teachers, we are obligated to 20+ students in a classroom, this is one toddler in a zoo.
Lyndia May 31st, 2016 at 01:12
I taught as well. When going on trips, I noticed how lax some teachers were, regarding their students. I always kept my group TOGETHER and ALWAYS under my watchful eye. No problems. (20+ students per class? 30-35 students per class, in Chicago.)
whatthe46 May 31st, 2016 at 01:31
that class size is ridiculous!
Suzanne McFly May 31st, 2016 at 07:09
The schools I work, we have a lot of behavioral issues we deal with and we couldn’t have classes that large. Connecticut funds their schools better than most and I don’t remember us ever having 30-35 students in a class outside of a college course. I am thankful for that. On field trips, we try to have a guardian for every 3-7 students, depending on age range.
whatthe46 May 30th, 2016 at 16:25
the full article has more. the child was expressing that he wanted to get into the moat with the gorilla. he went through the divider and then fell in. they should have been paying attention. this is a baby, he didn’t know any better, but once you hear an innocent child expressing that they want to “play” if you will with the gorilla, it’s time to have a firm grip.
Bunya May 30th, 2016 at 15:08
I agree. I’m a big animal lover myself. Funny how human have decided a long time ago that a human life is worth more than an animal life. I’m sure the animal would beg to differ.
Suzanne McFly May 30th, 2016 at 16:34
And we only put us above them because we can’t understand them? It is too stupid for me to waste time trying to understand.
Bunya May 31st, 2016 at 11:17
I think it’s more a case of we refuse to understand them. Religious folks have decided that their god decided that people are more important than animals, which is why many people find them expendable – so we hunt them and eat them.
Suzanne McFly May 31st, 2016 at 18:50
I was raised in the church but as an adult I have gone my own way. I believe in a higher being but not one that believes I am less than a man and not one that put living creatures on a level with humans at the top.
Mike May 30th, 2016 at 09:26
I’m trying to wrap my head around the claim people called for the child’s parents to be “held accountable for their actions of not supervising their child.”
All because a gorilla died, not a child….on average 2 children a day get hold of a weapon and kill or injure themselves or another…but I’m yet to see a change.org petition for holding someone responsible….anyone…???
Larry Schmitt May 30th, 2016 at 09:30
And every time some legislator tries to get a bill going that would require safety devices on handguns, it’s stopped dead. They want their guns when they want them, and damn the consequences. But let a “good” animal die, and they’re outraged. “Good” animals are those we have decided we like: apes, lions, tigers, some birds. But not snakes, insects, small fish, unattractive animals, those that are not cuddly. They will go extinct in the face of “progress.”
Mensa Member May 30th, 2016 at 11:08
Having known several people killed by guns, I’m with you 100%.
In at least two of the cases, the person would surely be alive if the owner had used a gun lock.
I support “license, register, insure, secure” but if I had to pick only one, it would be “secure”
Locking up guns would save so many lives.
whatthe46 May 30th, 2016 at 16:21
i guess i’m one of them. but, i’m not calling for the heads of the zoo because a gorilla died. i’m extremely happy the baby survived. i wonder why though, couldn’t they have shot it with a dart. there was another accident just like this that showed a gorilla protecting the child from the others: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-CMxMv34_A
Mike May 30th, 2016 at 16:39
I actually don’t think the child was in mortal danger and simply waiting might have gone a long way to defusing the situation…
whatthe46 May 30th, 2016 at 16:43
i don’t think he was in danger either. it was the excitement of the others and yelling that made him (the gorilla) afraid. i attached a video from the UK when this same thing happened. this gorilla was protecting the 4 y/o from the other gorillas. amazing footage.
Candide Gunn May 31st, 2016 at 02:53
This is my favorite, a gorilla picks up a 4 year old who had fallen in the pit and brought him to the door and gave him to the handlers. https://youtu.be/8Xr1YjwDNm4
whatthe46 May 31st, 2016 at 02:59
was this the same 4 y/o in the UK that had fallen into the pit? i posted one earlier where a 4 y/o in the UK had fallen and the gorilla protected the baby from the others.
Suzanne McFly May 30th, 2016 at 10:16
I would greatly appreciate anyone adding their name to this petition…..https://www.change.org/p/cincinnati-zoo-justice-for-harambe
Foundryman May 30th, 2016 at 10:48
I hold the zoo responsible. There is no way anyone should be able to fall or get in any exhibit, accident or otherwise. If a kid can accidentally get in, the animal could accidentally get out. If they can’t have fool proof exhibits for the animals, they shouldn’t have any zoos.
Mensa Member May 30th, 2016 at 10:52
>> If a kid can accidentally get in, the animal could accidentally get out.
Well, not necessarily.
But I totally agree with you. Zoos should be kid-proofed.
anothertoothpick May 30th, 2016 at 10:56
The fatal mauling of a toddler by African wild dogs at the Pittsburgh Zoo highlights an uncomfortable truth for all zoos: No exhibit is fail-proof.
Mensa Member May 30th, 2016 at 11:01
I have a moral ambivalence towards zoos. I understand their role in education and conservation.
I suppose it depends on the animal. I doubt that a snake cares if it’s in an exhibit. But a polar bear locked up in Atlanta? It seems like torture.
anothertoothpick May 30th, 2016 at 11:10
There is only two kinds of snakes that scare me. BIG snakes and small snakes.
But all things considered snakes don’t look to happy to me regardless of where they are at.
Mensa Member May 30th, 2016 at 11:13
Why small snakes? Because they can hide better?
Here in the Pacific Northwest we have very few snakes. I’m only aware of garter snakes. I’m actually quite fond of them.
anothertoothpick May 30th, 2016 at 11:16
There are no snakes in my hood either. At least not that I am aware of.
Mensa Member May 30th, 2016 at 11:26
I lived in California for a number of years and we had rattle snakes. Apparently they were common but I never personally saw one. In the local newspaper (remember those?) there was a story about a rock climber who got bit and was not able to get treated for several hours.
The picture of his arm was horrific. It was black and look necrotized the whole length of arm. I assume he lost it but I don’t remember.
But, despite this one story, I don’t remember too many problems. I have a vague memory of a dog getting bit.
amongoose May 30th, 2016 at 11:42
They are actually quite good. we used to have rattlesnake roundups and BBQ’s in El Paso.
Candide Gunn May 31st, 2016 at 02:31
I live in a swamp, snakes are pretty much a given along with a million other things that might not seem too desirable to most people.
I always thought snakes are just part of the circle of life around here and unless they get in the house I shouldn’t freak out about them too much until one day I saw a snake longer than my van crossing the road in front of my house.
I was checking the mail when I saw a snake so long that its head was on one side of the street and its tail was hanging in the ditch on the other side so 14 or 15 feet long. It was big around as a soccer ball!!! I never saw a snake like that before so I ran got my video camera and filmed it. I showed it to everyone, no one knew what kind it was. I tried looking for pictures of snakes on the internet but nothing looked like that, I even put it on youtube and asked what it was, still no answer.
Now I have a fear of mutant snakes LOL.
anothertoothpick May 30th, 2016 at 12:07
Now you know why I am glad that they never opened Jurassic Park.
whatthe46 May 30th, 2016 at 16:13
well, the parents should have kept a better eye on the child. apparently the child expressed that he wanted get into the moat with the gorilla. what i do wonder is why they couldn’t have just shoot him with a dart.
Mensa Member May 30th, 2016 at 10:50
Look, I get it. The staff had to make a split-second decision. The person who pulled the trigger is not the biggest villain, here.
The parents come to mind.
But, why was the fence poorly built?
amongoose May 30th, 2016 at 11:40
There’s a lot of folks at fault here, parents, zoo officials, but the one who wasn’t part of the problem paid the price.
.
Someone panicked, if the female gorillas could be coaxed out odds are he could have been as well.
robert May 30th, 2016 at 15:51
I can see Ohio getting the deserved replies. No more gorillas for you !
whatthe46 May 30th, 2016 at 16:05
why would you suggest the fence was poorly built. apparently this isn’t something that happens often. this is the fault of the parents sitting a child on a divider to the point where he could fall in.
granpa.usthai May 30th, 2016 at 12:34
words from my father keep coming back to me.
“it’s better to have someone angry at you than to have someone scared of you – angry people you can reason with, but scared people are crazy and more apt to kill you or someone you love.”
this is PROOF my father’s words are true.
anyone with an ounce of reasoning could see the gorilla was protecting and attempting to shelter the child while humans were freaking out over something. If the gorilla had any inclination of harming the child, he would merely have had to place his hand over the child’s head and give a slight squeeze. Instead, the child reached out to the gorilla, and the gorilla responded by shielding the child with the close proximity of his body.
FEAR is the greater threat. FEAR is what made humans respond the way they did, FEAR is what will start an all out Nuclear War if the instigator can make the threat seem real enough.
use this tragedy as a valuable lesson to NEVER NEVER NEVER EVER believe or trust a RepubliKon in the White House again. They can only rule by fear and will not hesitate to cause worldwide destruction including US if they become scared of the loss of their offshore bank accounts.
STOP THE FEAR
keep america great
BAN TRUMP JUNK & IMPORTS
bpollen May 30th, 2016 at 19:03
Male gorillas are known to engage in infanticide. Particularly if it isn’t their offspring.
This is a tragedy all the way around, but if I were put in that position, I’d take the shot too.
whatthe46 May 30th, 2016 at 19:05
you’re right. it is a tragedy all the way around.