By Fruzsina Eordogh
..."We are not amused by the memes, (click here) petitions and signs about Harambe...Our zoo family is still healing, and the constant mention of Harambe makes moving forward more difficult for us. We are honoring Harambe by redoubling our gorilla conservation efforts and encouraging others to join us."...
Just a couple of things. The Cincinnati Zoo acted responsibly in acting quickly to save the boy any injury or worse. I already know if the child was seriously injured or worse the calls for closing the zoo would be overwhelming.
The picture above is exactly the stance Harambe had taken when he went to the boy's rescue. There is no doubt in my mind that Harambe was attempting to rescue the boy. In the picture below right the Silverback was waiting for the boy to climb onto his back. Of course, the child was not going to climb on the gorilla's back, nor would he assume any other behavior of an infant gorilla.
When watching the film of the event it was obvious there were two things happening. The boy was unsafe and could have been injured by the fall alone. Realizing he could be injured any additional trauma (rough handling by the Silverback) would create more risk for the child.
I am convinced Harambe had no intention of harming the boy, but, he was also unsafe. He was in the moat that surrounded the gorilla enclosure. It wasn't really a place in the enclosure where he frequented. I think Harambe was under stress. It was that stress that made him unpredictable. I think any stress could have grown into behaviors that could have harmed the child when he didn't mount Harambe's back as expected.
The risk to the zoo, which already was the target of threats from a tax request of 2014 (click here), along with the risk to the child was more than the zoo authorities could allow. It is just that simple.
Harambe was great. There is no doubt he was a valuable member of the Cincinnati Zoo and the Lowland Gorilla species. (click here)
June 1, 2016
By Tim Zimmerman
...It is easy to blame the child's mother—and many did. (click here) But any parent can tell you that it is near-impossible to keep track of a young child every instant you're with them (I lost my son in an airport once). It is easy to blame the zoo for its decision to kill Harambe and for its poorly designed enclosure—and many did. But this was the first time that anyone had jumped into Gorilla World in the almost 40 years that it's been open, and it is hard to fault the zoo for an agonizing choice that offered maximum protection to a young boy....
...If I have any blame to cast, I reserve it for the crowd, which shrieked and panicked, seemingly agitating Harambe and making it all the more difficult for zoo employees to see a way to a peaceful recovery of the boy. “[Harambe] showed a combination of protection and confusion. He stood over the child, held him up, moved/dragged him through the water (at least once very roughly), stood over him again,” primate expert Frans De Waal observed in a Facebook post. “Much of his reaction may have been triggered by public noise and yelling.” Note to future zoo crowds: when a child ends up in an animal enclosure, back away and stay quiet so the animals at least have a chance to remain calm....
I suppose the Cincinnati Zoo staff could post "Quiet" signs near the new enclosure. (click here)
I think the nasty attacks on the Cincinnati Zoo is far more worrisome than most care to say. The Koch Brothers is a multi-billion dollar enterprise that literally warned the Cincinnati Zoo to not ask for a tax on the referendum to assist in their mission. Why? I find it extremely strange that such an industry would warn any zoo of organization to end an effort to obtain funding for their mission. It is disturbing.
Koch industries did not only warn the Cincinnati Zoo, it carried out a campaign to defeat the measure once it was on the ballot in 2014. It is a really peculiar practice for a family corporation with reach globally as well as in the USA. None of it makes sense to me.
No, I don't believe for one minute the boy was planted in the moat. These things happen. But, the hate campaign that followed is far more than any organization should tolerate. I think it is being orchestrated for some sick reason in an election year.
I want all this investigated to end the hatred of the zoo and it's professional staff.
There is no doubt Harambe was an incredible Silverback, but, to hate the zoo that cared for him when his death was in mercy of a child is extremely strange.
The closing of the website for the Cincinnati Zoo is disturbing when realizing the international respect for them. What next, closing the zoo? Realizing the zoo was attacked by wealthy oil men is enough to be concerned for the destination of the zoo should anything happen to the public. Perhaps if the zoo hadn't been attacked the outcome here might be different, too. I consider the closing of the website detrimental to the zoo and it's patrons. There is liability here and I do believe unlawful behavior. I think it needs to be rooted out and ended. There is too much as stake including a world class zoo in the USA.
