The parents welcomed Mr Deters’ announcement that there would be no charges.
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The exhibit will reopen on Tuesday with a higher, reinforced barrier.
After getting past a 3-foot fence, the boy fell almost 15 feet into a shallow moat and was then dragged by the gorilla that weighed more than 400 pounds.
The incident on May 28 prompted zoo staff to shoot and kill one of its gorillas in order to save the life of the boy. The loudest voices, though, were the ones arguing that Gregg should be charged for her perceived negligence while visiting the zoo with her kids, with online petitions even garnering thousands of signatures. “And they felt that this boy’s life was in jeopardy and they made the painful choice to do what they did”. “Because they can. And they do”, he said during a news conference.
Legal experts previously told the Associated Press that prosecution on child endangerment or similar charges seems unlikely. She said OH law requires that the defendant be found “reckless” and to have exposed a child to “substantial risk”, or a strong possibility of harm.
“There are millions of situations in the world, and in your home, and at the McDonald’s – it allows any possible situation where a parent is being neglectful”, he said.
Hamilton County commissioners have said they will ask their appointees to the zoo board to conduct an investigation. Ultimately, the zoo shot and killed the 400 pound silver-back.
The child was treated at the hospital after the incident, with police saying that he had scrapes on his head and knee, AP notes.
Deters said the boy was remarkably calm during the ordeal, and if he or the animal had behaved any other way may have led to a worse outcome.
“I keep a tight watch on my kids”, Gregg wrote last week, adding, “Accidents happen”. “I can’t. I can’t”.
Harambe was shot dead following the boy’s fall. Zoo officials decided against using a tranquilizer dart, believing that Harambe would injure the boy before the drug could take effect.
“Gorillas are not polar bears”, Maynard said. The pierce of a dart also presented a risk of startling the powerful animal, he said. It will feature solid wood beams at both the top and the bottom, just as the one at the zoo’s lion exhibit does.
The zoo’s actions will be reviewed separately by the US Department of Agriculture. “A gorilla is a wild animal and, by definition, unsafe and unpredictable”.
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A 17-year-old male named Harambe picked up and dragged the toddler around, forcing keepers to shoot the 28-stone ape.
