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Cincinnati Zoo Kills Gorilla After It Drags Trapped Boy Around Exhibit: Outrage, Anger Ensues

By Liz Kelley
Published on: 17:18 PST, May 29, 2016

Outrage and confusion ensued after Cincinnati Zoo killed a 17-year-old gorilla in order to save a young boy.

“A visitor who recorded the harrowing moments after a three-year-old boy fell into the gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo said Sunday that the hulking ape appeared to be more of a gentle giant — protecting the child before the animal was shot dead,” NBC News reported.

However, others disagree. According to them, the gorilla, names Harambe, was not so much of a gentle giant.

“The boy sat still in the water, looking up at the gorilla as the animal touched the child’s hand and back. At one point, it looked as though the gorilla helped the youngster stand up,” the Chicago Tribune said. “Two witnesses said they thought the gorilla was trying to protect the boy at first before getting spooked by the screams of onlookers. The animal then picked the child up out of the moat and dragged him to another spot inside the exhibit, zoo officials said.”

NBC also reported that the child is expected to recover and is home from the hospital.

“The three-year-old — authorities initially misreported his age as four — was in the enclosure for more than 10 minutes before he was rescued and taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital in serious condition, officials said. He was released from the hospital on Saturday night and was safe at home, his family said Sunday.”

Whether or not the gorilla was interested in harming or helping the child, many argue that it is the mother’s fault that her child fell through the wire fence and down into the exhibit in the first place.

As The Inquisitr reported, the zoo has been mourning both this terrible incident and the loss of Harambe. Thane Maynard, the zoo director, said in a statement that the decision to put the gorilla down was a difficult decision, but it had to be made.

“You’re talking about an animal that’s over 400 pounds and extremely strong. So no, the child wasn’t under attack but all sorts of things could happen in a situation like that. He certainly was at risk. […] The Zoo security team’s quick response saved the child’s life. We are all devastated that this tragic accident resulted in the death of a critically-endangered gorilla. This is a huge loss for the Zoo family and the gorilla population worldwide.”

Witness Kim O’Connor said that the boy eagerly desired to enter the exhibit before he fell in. He apparently wanted to play in the water.

“The mother’s like, ‘No, you’re not. No, you’re not.'”

Finally, however, the boy fell into the exhibit, and O’Connor captured the infamous video currently circulating throughout the internet. During the video we can here the child’s mother yell out, “Somebody call the zoo! Mommy’s right here.”

While the gorilla has been put down, the zoo is still in the process of recovery.

“The area around the gorilla exhibit was closed off Saturday afternoon as zoo visitors reported hearing screaming. Maynard said the zoo believes the exhibit remains safe. The zoo will be open on Sunday but officials said the gorilla exhibit has been closed until further notice. The zoo prides itself for its work in protecting endangered species, and has been part of successful captive breeding efforts in recent years in the effort to save the endangered Sumatran rhino,” ABC reported.

This was truly a tragic event for all involved. One can only hope that the exhibit will be made more secure in order that this incident will not repeat in the future. Thankfully, the child was not severely harmed or threatened, and that he is now safe at home once again.

What do you think? Was it right for them to kill Harambe? Was the child’s mother at fault here? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below!

[Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images]

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