The Cincinnati Zoo’s gorilla exhibit has reopened with a higher, reinforced barrier after a boy got inside and was dragged by a 400-pound gorilla, which was then shot and killed.
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The zoo, meanwhile, will face a review by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to evaluates its possible responsibility for the incident, although its Gorilla World barrier at the time of the incident did adhere to strict safety guidelines and passed inspections by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The exhibit’s reopening came a day after Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said he would not bring charges against the boy’s mother, who was tending to another child when her 3-year-old “just scampered off”, as children sometimes do. A special response team shot and killed the 17-year-old western lowland gorilla to protect the boy.
But they were visiting from Kentucky and MacKenzie, 5, saw something on the news and asked about it. This wasn’t how Sparks wanted her daughter to learn the lesson of what happens when children wander, but she answered the girl’s question the best she could. Others said the boy’s mother should have watched him more closely.
Cincinnati police said some of the online posts contained threatening language such as “shoot the mother”.
Losing Harambe – or any other zoo animal – is like losing a family member, Maynard told this news outlet when the exhibit re-opened.
SAEN last month filed a complaint accusing the zoo of negligence in maintaining the gorilla habitat and seeking the maximum penalty of $10,000. “But that’s not what happened here”, the prosecutor said.
The new fence around the animal’s habitat, which is 42 inches higher than the old one, features wood beams on the top and bottom with rope netting in between.
“She had three other kids with her and turned her back….” Two are 20-year-old females that were grouped with Harambe.
Molly McCray said that’s why she often uses a leash to make sure she doesn’t lose her children.
“I’m not ashamed of a leash”. “The most diligent parent can lose track”. “It passed twice a year inspections from the USDA”.
In a statement, the family said it was pleased with the decision.
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“It’s been a hard time, as you can imagine, with the loss of Harambe, but this community is a zoo community”, Maynard said.
