The family added that the boy “had a checkup by his doctor and is still doing well”.
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“We extend our heartfelt thanks for the quick action by the Cincinnati Zoo staff”, the statement read.
The parents, Michelle Gregg and Deonne Dickerson, have been accused by some of setting off a chain of events that led to their three year-old son entering the enclosure, prompting zoo officials to shoot and kill the endangered gorilla, named Harambe.
“We are also very appreciative for the expressions of concern and support that have been sent to us”.
And as police in Cincinnati are investigating the child’s parents, federal inspectors are planning their own review.
In a story May 28 about a gorilla shot and killed after a child fell into its enclosure, The Associated Press, relying on information provided by the Cincinnati Zoo, reported erroneously the child’s age. Police then would discuss with prosecutors whether charges should be filed.
The zoo has explained it shot the gorilla rather than use tranquilisers because tranquilisers would take too long to take effect.
Is the mother of the boy to blame for not noticing that her child climbed a barrier until he tumbled into the gorilla habitat?
The boy, who was hurt but not severely, was taken to a hospital and released on Saturday night, zoo officials said.
Mounting outrage over Saturday’s killing of the endangered species sparked criticism of both the zoo and the child’s parents.
“This lovely gorilla lost his life because the boy’s parents did not keep a closer watch on the child”, the petition states. I thought it was so handsome to watch that, you know, powerful nearly 500-pound gorilla, the way he dealt with that little boy, but it just takes one second.
Despite the backlash, Thane Maynard, the director of the Cincinnati Zoo, stands by the decision to kill Harambe.
In the wild, adult male silverbacks such as Harambe are leaders of groups of gorillas known as troops.
“At this point, everybody is just looking into it to see what’s going on”, she said. The approach is an exception to the type of open enclosure in Cincinnati, which is the industry standard, said spokeswoman Patty Peters.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture, responsible for inspecting the zoo each year, said it is investigating if the zoo was in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act, according to Public Affairs Specialist Tanya Espinosa.
