Even better. You're taking an animal that for who knows how many wins has lived in the wild and put him in captivity. It's not natural and if you are worried about being fair to the animal you're way too late.

 

Sure it is unless the kid had a shovel and fence cutters.

 

Just pointing out he wasn't caught in the wild... And still, after the millions of inspections it's passed, it's not the zoo's fault.

Seeing the unedited video of the boy being drug through the water I think it was a matter of time before he was injured or worse. I don't think the gorilla was intentionally trying to hurt him, if he was the boy would have been dead.

 

I don't see where the response team had any recourse except killing the gorilla.

 

A 4 year old should not be able to get into the gorilla area on their own, that is a design flaw. That in and of it self leave the Zoo with some liability, if the child had been injured. The child wasn't injured and again IMO only I don't think the Zoo should be sued or held financially liable for something that could have happened.

 

The parents may or may not have any culpability in this, it would fully depend on what they were doing at the time. Kids slip away from parents all of the time...the only question is were they negligent in attempting to keep up with their son or were they too busy doing other things and paying no attention to him.

 

I hate that the gorilla was killed, but it was necessary.

Edited May 30, 201610 yr by Jumper_Dad

...

Famed animal zookeeper, television host and director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium defended the decision to put down the 450 pound gorilla named Harambe to protect the life of the 4-year-old boy who fell into the enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo.

 

"I’ve seen him take a green coconut, which you can’t bust open with a sledgehammer and squish it like this," Hanna told "Good Morning America" about Harambe, gesturing with his hand the ease with which gorillas can crush fruit. "You’re dealing with either human life or animal life here. So what is the decision? I think it’s very simple to figure that out."

 

"I can tell you now, that there's no doubt in my mind the child would not be here today if they hadn't made the decision," Hanna said.

 

Famed Animal Expert Jack Hanna Says Gorilla Would Have Killed Boy

 

I'm in lockstep agreement with Jack Hanna. It's a real shame, but the decision to kill the gorilla shouldn't be called into question.

 

As for the parents/mom in the situation, there should be due diligence into researching what was going on here, but this is very possibly among the worst parenting mistakes, if not THE worst parenting mistake she's ever made...and here she is having it broadcast all over the world news. I sure as hell hope that whenever the day comes that I make my worst mistake as a parent, that there isn't a cell phone, security camera or news reporter within a solid square mile of me.

 

Another thought, I'd be interested to know how many kids have wound up in the lost and found at the zoo over the last 38 years. I'd be interested to know how many kids have wound up in the lost and found at Kings Island, Coney Island, a professional sporting event, the WEBN fireworks, the mall...or any large gathering place over the last 38 years. I know that as a young kid, I personally wound up in the lost and found at the Boone County Fair, and at the Dayton Air Show. Pretty sure I could have wandered my way into a life threatening situation at both of those events. The fact is, parents (ESPECIALLY parents with multiple kids) often can't have every single child in their direct line of sight at every single second of the day. Sometimes your kid sneaks away, and sometimes bad stuff happens. This was a very bad thing that happened, but I'm still very glad Ms. Gregg's son is still alive.

[ATTACH]56248[/ATTACH]

 

For those not familiar, this is the actual gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo.

 

 

Just for a second, imagine that it's a nice Saturday afternoon...the first day of nice weather in about a week, so the zoo is understandably crowded. There's a big crowd in the gorilla habitat area. You've got your 4 year old son there with you, maybe you've got another child or two with you, maybe you don't. Everyone in the crowd is trying to get the best position to see the gorillas, and after you have spent 5 minutes up front at the railing, you say, "Come on, Junior, lets let some other people see." You turn around, trying to jockey your stroller around everyone in the crowd, and you are expecting to have your son immediately at your side to sneak through as you make your path towards the back. You get to the back of all the onlookers, maybe 5 or 6 people deep, and you turn your head to see where you thought your son was, directly behind you, only to find no one. You start to look around in the crowd, not immediately thinking to look in the gaps of the hedges just beyond the wire guardrail surround the gorilla habitat, and then 20 seconds later you hear the crowd start screaming about a child having fallen into the moat surrounding the gorilla habitat.

 

 

Are you the worst parent in the world?

The minute the kid fell in the gorilla was dead. As far as the parents go, I'll reserve judgement. I've got tow myself and it only takes a second.

 

That said the fact there was an opportunity that a small child could end up in this situation is 100% on the zoo.

Has she decided to sue yet.

Has she decided to sue yet.

 

I've not come across anything online or in the news regarding the mom suing except in your posts in this thread. Where are you digging that up from?

Thanks for the picture, CWB. I can see it happening. If a child is unsupervised he/she can can climb over the fence and through the hedge and then fall down into the moat.

[ATTACH]56248[/ATTACH]

 

For those not familiar, this is the actual gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo.

 

 

Just for a second, imagine that it's a nice Saturday afternoon...the first day of nice weather in about a week, so the zoo is understandably crowded. There's a big crowd in the gorilla habitat area. You've got your 4 year old son there with you, maybe you've got another child or two with you, maybe you don't. Everyone in the crowd is trying to get the best position to see the gorillas, and after you have spent 5 minutes up front at the railing, you say, "Come on, Junior, lets let some other people see." You turn around, trying to jockey your stroller around everyone in the crowd, and you are expecting to have your son immediately at your side to sneak through as you make your path towards the back. You get to the back of all the onlookers, maybe 5 or 6 people deep, and you turn your head to see where you thought your son was, directly behind you, only to find no one. You start to look around in the crowd, not immediately thinking to look in the gaps of the hedges just beyond the wire guardrail surround the gorilla habitat, and then 20 seconds later you hear the crowd start screaming about a child having fallen into the moat surrounding the gorilla habitat.

 

 

Are you the worst parent in the world?

 

Yes

I'll say it one last time. The zoo has been open for 38 years and millions upon millions of good kids,bad kids, good parents,bad parents have visited that exhibit with narry an incident. The woman should be made to clean out the gorilla exhibit, shovel manure,etc. a couple of times a week for a year. I'd be good with that. And get a leash for the kid

On the local news this evening,there was a person carrying a sign which read All animal lives matter.

In most instances, I would dare say that the enclosures are designed to keep the animals in...and not humans out. I mean, if you (as an adult) wanted to get in to get up close and personal with a bear, you could probably do it before anyone could stop you. Now, could a child? Maybe it wouldn't be quite as easy to hop over a barricade...but, given enough time, I'd say, sure...many probably could.

 

For example, we went to the Columbus Zoo last summer, and took in the Cheetah Run. A nice venue, but 100% idiot-proof...not a chance. An adult could easily go over the fence. And I would guess that there's many 6-8 year old boys (and girls) spry enough to easily find a way to go up and over.

 

So, are the zoos culpable in these instances should someone decide that come hell or high water they're getting into that area? I mean, it's not like the kid took a wrong turn to the restrooms and ended up in the gorilla habitat. It sounds like he went looking for a way in...and he was afforded enough time that he found it.

I always thought that was what the moats were for, if someone actually penetrated the first barrier then u had the moat.Didn't know the animals could get to the bottom of that.

Yes

I'll say it one last time. The zoo has been open for 38 years and millions upon millions of good kids,bad kids, good parents,bad parents have visited that exhibit with narry an incident. The woman should be made to clean out the gorilla exhibit, shovel manure,etc. a couple of times a week for a year. I'd be good with that. And get a leash for the kid

 

Well, I guess you and I completely disagree on what makes someone the worst parent in the world.

The gorilla was actually owned by the Zoo Miami in Miami, FL. He was on longterm, indefinite loan to the Cincinnati Zoo for the sake of breeding. The Cincinnati Zoo has the most successful breeding program of the western lowland gorilla in the US, and one of the most successful breeding programs in the world. Anyway, Ron Magill who is one of the zoologist/directors at Zoo Miami is on record stating that he is "1,000% behind" Cincinnati Zoo's decision to kill the gorilla, and that, "People have to understand, no single animal life is more important than a human life.”

 

Sucks that the kid got into the exhibit, sucks that the gorilla died, maybe mom needed to keep a better eye on her kid (although as many have said, it only takes a second), but killing the gorilla was definitely the right thing to do. If people want to make such a big deal out of this gorilla dying, then why aren't they getting off their butts so they can wail and gnash their teeth about the poaching of gorillas in Africa?