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.
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Maynard stood by his decision to kill the 17-year-old silverback gorilla in order to save the child’s life, and says he’d make the same decision again if the situation arose.
Jack Hanna, host of “Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild”, said the zoo made the right call by shooting the gorilla, telling WBNS-TV: “I’ll bet my life on this, that child would not be here today”. Trump said it was “a very tough call”, but the child’s life was at stake.
Jerry Stones, facilities director at Gladys Porter Zoo raised Harambe since birth and has worked with the gorilla’s family since they first entered the USA, the Brownsville Herald reported.
“Even under the “best” circumstances, captivity is never acceptable for gorillas or other primates, and in cases like this, it’s even deadly”, PETA said in a statement.
“Zoos aren’t your babysitter”, he said.
A Cincinnati Zoo spokesman explains the decision to shoot a gorilla after a boy climbed into its enclosure.
Helen Rayshick, executive director of the Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition, said the organization “believes that this disgusting incident was the fault of the zoo and that people should be outraged by the killing of an endangered species because of faulty containment facilities”.
The child’s parents have faced a social media backlash for not keeping track of their child.
Michelle took to Facebook following a public backlash after 17-year-old Herambe was captured on camera dragging her four-year-old boy around the moated area of the enclosure.
The mother defended herself on Facebook, where she claimed that “accidents happen”.
Parents that THV11 spoke to say they feel safer knowing those barriers are in place.
Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard says a review is underway to determine possible improvements.
“This handsome gorilla lost his life because the boy’s parents did not keep a closer watch on the child”, the change.org petition reads.
The mother of a child who fell into a gorilla pit in a USA zoo, which led to the animal being shot dead, has spoken out, saying “accidents happen”.
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In the days since, people have taken to social media to voice their outrage about the killing of a member of an endangered species. “As soon as we want to get them out so they can see something closer, we’re holding onto them”, Tricia Bell, mother of two said. “We hope that you will respect our privacy at this time”. We extend our heartfelt thanks for the quick action by the Cincinnati Zoo staff.
