Child Falls Into Gorilla Pit

[sportsfan41]

Parents of the child should be fined.

 

I'm sure video will surface.

 

I'm sorry but 10 minutes? I may be an idiot for doing it but I'm not standing outside a cage watching anyone get drug around by a Gorilla for 10 seconds let alone 10 minutes. This makes it certain that there will be plenty of video.

[That One Guy]

That's one lucky kid that survived a 10 foot drop and the powerful grip of a gorilla. I'm sure the parents will keep both eyes on their kid going forward, cause there lives were one really bad move away from something extremely tragic

[nkuclubbaseball19]

Extremely sad situation. Obviously the video that is being shown on tv is edited to not show any bad parts but the few clips I've seen have shown that the gorilla was almost protecting the kid. Such a shame they had to kill the gorilla due to what appears to be parents not keeping an eye on their kid.

[hoops5]

I thought I read that the gorilla was initially seeming protective but the screaming and noise from the onlookers may have caused the gorilla's demeanor to change.

 

Gorilla was probably scared, too.

[jericho]

I would like to hear from the parents what happened and see their picture.

[Clyde]

I would like to hear from the parents what happened and see their picture.

 

What do you think they look like ?

[plantmanky]

Where is CPS in all this.

[HammerTime]

That video on the news sites is edited. The Gorilla drags the child through the water very violently multiple times.

[Beechwoodfan]

Where is CPS in all this.

 

Sadly, CPS is overwhelmed with much more tragic situations than parents who momentarily lose sight of their child.

[plantmanky]

Sadly, CPS is overwhelmed with much more tragic situations than parents who momentarily lose sight of their child.

 

A child's almost death by Gorilla isnt a big enough situation, got it.

[jericho]

What do you think they look like ?

 

I just curious to see. Just wondering what a parent looks like that couldn't stop their 4yr old from bein the first person in the 38 year history of the Gorilla exhibit to allow their kid to do that.

[plantmanky]

I been thinking about this situation and the reactions and thought, what if the situation was reversed. What if a Gorilla got out of its enclosure and attacked/harmed a human.

 

The Gorilla (or any other animal) would have been killed more than likely. The zoo would be facing a huge lawsuit from the victim. More than likely someone within the zoo would be held criminal responsible in some manner, an example would be made.

 

So now lets take that to the case at hand. You have a human that entered the Gorilla's area. The Gorilla was killed instead of the human. Im not ok with it, but I can understand it, specifically because it was a little child who lacks some cognitive thought in the matter that adults have. However you have the issue of "where were the parents?" The parents, are probably going to sue the zoo for unsafe conditions, when in reality the zoo should be suing the parents for creating the situation, lost revenue now that one of their main attractions is now dead and lost revenue from the bad PR this will bring to the zoo due to the parents incompetence. CPS needs to review the family situation, specifically if they have other kids as well. I also think that the parents should be held criminal responsible as an accessory to kill an endanger species.

[theguru]

It is a sad situation all the way around.

[NKYknowitall]

If these parents try and sue the Zoo I hope they lose. It is not the Zoo's fault that these parents couldn't keep an eye on their kid. Witnesses have said that the little boy said multiple times he wanted to play with the gorilla's and apparently he found his way. The blame lies solely on the parents. I saw the video of the gorilla dragging the boy around the water however, I only saw him drag him from a corner to the middle and that was it. Was it violent? IMO it seemed more of just moving him from one spot to another. Im sure if this gorilla really wanted to cause damage he could have but he seemed to have kind of protected the youngster. Either way, sad situation all around.

[SportsGuy41017]

I'll hold judgment on the parent(s) until more comes out. BUT, witnesses say that the boy was repeatedly telling his mother that he was going to jump into the water. But the mother decided to tend to the other chirdren that was there with her. Wouldn't a child repreatadly telling you that he is going to jump into the water, which is 10 feet below and Ina gorilla pit get your full attention?

 

They are saying at times that it looked like the gorilla was trying to protect the boy, but that onlookers kept screaming and yelling at the gorilla, and some onlookers think that all of the screaming and yelling spooked the gorilla and that he may have thought that they were a danger to the child, thus the gorilla dragged the boy away from the screaming and yelling onlookers. This is plausible, I wonder if this is what the gorilla was actually doing?

 

I seriously hope that there is an investigation and possibly surveillance video of what happened, and that the police and CPS look into this really hard to see if any charges on the mother is warranted. If anything is worthy of neglect and putting a child in danger, this would be it, if the patent indeed should have been able to prevent this. How long has this exact exhibit been there? I think I heard this set up has been there 39+ years? And there has been no other issues? If this is the case then it would be very hard to blame the zoo for anything.

 

I apsolutely hate when people say things like "well the parent has been through enough" with these incidences and when parents leave their child in hot vehicles in warm weather and the child dies or comes close! It's time that all parents are held

accountable if their child gets injuries or killed and they should have been able to prevent it.