OH zoo reopening exhibit where boy fell, gorilla was shot

The zoo had temporarily shut it’s “Gorilla World” area following the fatal shooting of male gorilla Harambe after the 4-year-old boy climbed into the enclosure on May 28.

The entrance to the the Cincinnati Zoo’s Gorilla World exhibit is closed, two days after a boy tumbled into its moat and officials were forced to kill Harambe, a Western lowland gorilla, in Cincinnati, Ohio, US, May 30, 2016. An animal protection group is pushing for the examination.

“The exhibit we had was safe”, he said.

The zoo has staunchly defended its decision to shoot Harambe as necessary to protect the child, but has faced criticism from some who argued it could have tranquilized Harambe or did too little to prevent the tragedy in the first place.

Director Thane Maynard says the previous barrier passed inspections, but the zoo decided that upgrading it helps ensure both visitors and animals remain safe.

“Many people on social media have condemned the mother for not watching her child carefully enough at the zoo”.

The family said the decision by Mr Deters not to seek charges “is one more step in allowing us to put this tragic episode behind us”.

Hundreds of thousands of people rushed to sign online petitions condemning the child’s mother for indirectly causing the death of the rare silverback gorilla – with a virulence that some denounced as a “witch-hunt”.

The Cincinnati Zoo plans to reopen its gorilla exhibit with a higher, reinforced barrier installed after a boy got into the exhibit and was dragged by a 400-pound gorilla, which was then shot and killed.

But zookeepers said they anxious that hitting the gorilla with darts could agitate him before the sedative released, further endangering the child. “It does not equate human life, and they felt that this boy’s life was in jeopardy, and they made the painful choice to do what they did”. No matter how careful you are with your kids, a 3-year-old (and the woman in Cincinnati had three other kids!) can get away in a second.

Deters said the zoo lost a “beautiful animal” that was beloved “but it’s still an animal”.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is conducting an investigation into the incident.