Cincinnati - A 4-year-old boy (click here) was hospitalized with serious injuries and a gorilla was shot dead after officials said the boy climbed through a railing and fell into a moat at the Cincinnati Zoo's gorilla enclosure.
A 17-year-old, 400-pound male lowland gorilla, Harambe, was shot and killed by the zoo's dangerous animal response team about 10 minutes after the boy made it into the enclosure.
Zoo director Thayne Maynard said that the boy crawled through the railing and fell into the moat just before 4 p.m. Saturday. A Cincinnati fire department incident report says that the gorilla "was violently dragging and throwing the child" when they were called.
The child was in between the gorilla's legs when the gorilla was shot, fire officials said....
Gorillas are extremely strong. Harambe obviously identified the child as a young one that needed his protection. I don't believe for one minute Harambe was going to kill or maim the little boy, but, he wasn't a good baby sitter and the child had already been injured from his fall and from the rough handling of the boy.
The zoo's personnel did the right thing. The real question is why was this necessary at all. It is unfortunate such problems occur at zoos. These are wild animals. These odd occurrences are simply because wild animals come in contact with vulnerabilities no one realized existed. The zoo has been in existence for a long time. This was one of those dangers no one realized existed.
What’s one of the first things you notice about gorillas? (click here) Probably their great size. These are the largest living primates (a group that includes monkeys, apes, and humans). A fully-grown male gorilla weighs up to 400 pounds and measures about 5 ½ feet tall. Females are just a bit shorter (about five feet) but weigh considerably less (about 200 pounds).
Despite their formidable size, gorillas are gentle animals. In fact, thousands of tourists in Africa every year walk safely within a few yards of wild gorillas. These apes are aggressive only when fighting over females or protecting their family from predators and hunters....
The child is as much a teacher in this instance as a victim, but, it was an extremely dangerous way to learn of vulnerabilities to both a boy and a rare gorilla. It raises many questions, including whether wild animals belong in zoos at all. Harambe was a day or so away from being 14 years old. I doubt he would have achieved that age in the wild. That is the reality of these animals. They are hunted by poachers and with that understanding comes praise of zoos that take on the challenge of protecting them.
Zoos and zoo keepers have to find ways to insure visitors are safe no matter their age. Zoos are the place where people come to learn about the larger world where we all live. It is important they and the animals are safe.
A 17-year-old, 400-pound male lowland gorilla, Harambe, was shot and killed by the zoo's dangerous animal response team about 10 minutes after the boy made it into the enclosure.
Zoo director Thayne Maynard said that the boy crawled through the railing and fell into the moat just before 4 p.m. Saturday. A Cincinnati fire department incident report says that the gorilla "was violently dragging and throwing the child" when they were called.
The child was in between the gorilla's legs when the gorilla was shot, fire officials said....
Gorillas are extremely strong. Harambe obviously identified the child as a young one that needed his protection. I don't believe for one minute Harambe was going to kill or maim the little boy, but, he wasn't a good baby sitter and the child had already been injured from his fall and from the rough handling of the boy.
The zoo's personnel did the right thing. The real question is why was this necessary at all. It is unfortunate such problems occur at zoos. These are wild animals. These odd occurrences are simply because wild animals come in contact with vulnerabilities no one realized existed. The zoo has been in existence for a long time. This was one of those dangers no one realized existed.
What’s one of the first things you notice about gorillas? (click here) Probably their great size. These are the largest living primates (a group that includes monkeys, apes, and humans). A fully-grown male gorilla weighs up to 400 pounds and measures about 5 ½ feet tall. Females are just a bit shorter (about five feet) but weigh considerably less (about 200 pounds).
Despite their formidable size, gorillas are gentle animals. In fact, thousands of tourists in Africa every year walk safely within a few yards of wild gorillas. These apes are aggressive only when fighting over females or protecting their family from predators and hunters....
The child is as much a teacher in this instance as a victim, but, it was an extremely dangerous way to learn of vulnerabilities to both a boy and a rare gorilla. It raises many questions, including whether wild animals belong in zoos at all. Harambe was a day or so away from being 14 years old. I doubt he would have achieved that age in the wild. That is the reality of these animals. They are hunted by poachers and with that understanding comes praise of zoos that take on the challenge of protecting them.
Zoos and zoo keepers have to find ways to insure visitors are safe no matter their age. Zoos are the place where people come to learn about the larger world where we all live. It is important they and the animals are safe.
