Sad But Very Irresponsible..................Grrr!

[Snoop Puss]

My first thought when I read the headline was that probably the gorilla was saving the boy. I didn't read the article or see the video. I'm fed up with so-called experts supposedly knowing what animals think or feel. Anyone who has ever lived with animals knows that lots of them are capable of empathy.

[Knight of Albion]

Very sad that such a beautiful and rare creature had to be destroyed.

Two points:
What were the parents doing?
Why was the fencing not child-proof?

As for the gorilla. 40 stones of astonishing strength and power. Th slightest aggression and ...
Yet, the media are saying tonight the child is not seriously injured. Suggesting injuries came from the fall, not the gorilla.

The gorilla was only exemplifying behaviour a male gorilla would do with a baby gorilla.

Sad to see sensationalist claims on online media (Mail this morning, Express tonight) The lack of injury to the child only highlights the gorilla's gentleness and not in the least the 'aggression' some in the press were trying to portray.

[Chris11]

I would agree with Sparrow and have a similar inside perspective as a former keeper at Longleat.

I've personally saved a child's life that was in danger of being trampled/kicked by a protective mother giraffe. Needless to say, the parents should never have let the child get that near to the giraffe, but this was many years ago when the animals were in an open park and not segregated behind enclosures. I don't know what would have happened if my actions had been different, but it's quite likely that the giraffe would have been shot dead whether the child could be saved or was already dead.
Unfortunately, whatever the rights and wrongs, whatever the human failings that lead to these situations, the animal is going to be sacrificed. It's always a tragedy, but especially so when it's a magnificent animal like a gorilla, lion or giraffe, which is likely to be entirely innocent.

Similar story recently when a man entered a lion enclosure in Santiago, Chile. Apparently the man had mental health problems / was suicidal, and the lions didn't attack until he had deliberately provoked them. End result, two innocent lions shot dead following 'security protocols'.

[Cadalot]

Bottom line is the security was inadequate and the zoo need an inspection and if needs be closed to the public until they have their house in order including ensuring they have adequate tranquilisers.

The video I saw the Gorillia stood the boy up and checked him over to see he was ok, I didn't see his drag the boy around, he appeared to be quite gentle with him

[Guest]

I am amazed and saddened at some of the comments made and aimed towards the parents when they are not mentioned in the article I love animals more than people but if it was a choice between my child or the animal it would be my child everytime

[Kirk]

The zoo will have had almost no option. They certainly did not have time to decide a great deal. In that situation you cannot put out a call for all senior staff members to attend an emergency meeting in 15 minutes time in the main office.

Likely it was 15 or 30 seconds and no more. And I strongly suspect that when the child hit the water that at least one staff member knew that they had to shoot. They could not really wait for 5 minutes to see if the gorilla pulled the child apart - it certainly has the strength to do so. What if the gorilla just held the child underwater being not sure what to do with it?

The other aspect is that another gorilla may have appeared and been hostile, there would not have been just the big silverback there, there would have been a family group.

The possibly worse aspect is that I suspect there are already lawyers queueing up to represent the parents in court for the trauma caused to them, their child and whatever else.

[Bigmallly]

It was a little more than 30 seconds Kirk:

"The child is believed to have crawled through a public barrier into the Gorilla World enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Saturday afternoon, and tumbled into the exhibit's moat.

Zoo director Thane Maynard said the lowland gorilla - a 17-year-old male named Harambe weighing around 180kg - "went down and got him".

Witnesses said the gorilla dragged the boy around the enclosure for around 10 minutes before the zoo's response team shot and killed the primate, local media reported."

[Bigmallly]

And I strongly suspect that when the child hit the water that at least one staff member knew that they had to shoot.

If you watch the Vid you will see that when the child hit the water, it was at that point that the Gorrila shot over & dragged the boy to the edge, in my eyes to safety.

[Lumpy]

This is spreading around Flacebook very quickly.

[Bigmallly]

That's brilliant Lumpy & just about sums the situation up.

[Lumpy]

Don't get me started on this.................we have far more kids than gorilla's and we live in a world of litigation!

[Bigmallly]

.............and there will be a successful file claimed against the zoo for breach in public safety. Shocking.

[Lumpy]

5% of genetic material separates them from us.....................it's seems like the 5% they got are all about caring, co-habitation and kindness!

[Bigmallly]

I know I have posted this vid before but it shows how aggressive they really are: Enjoy!

[bearded bloke]

I hope it haunts them for the rest of their days.

That's a bit harsh BM, I will grant you that by & large gorilla's are the gentle giants of the jungle, I will also grant you that the child should not have been able to have been in that situation, but unfortunately it was & someone had to make a decision.