Cincinnati Zoo kills gorilla after child gets into his cage, May 28, 2016

[Tulessa]

I don't know why we should trust a zoo to keep a 400 pound gorilla in an enclosure if they can't keep a 4 year old child out of it. The zoo not only endangered the boy by its lazy design, but endangered (well, killed) a gorilla because of it.

You nailed it MJ.

 

[jjenny]

I don't know why we should trust a zoo to keep a 400 pound gorilla in an enclosure if they can't keep a 4 year old child out of it. The zoo not only endangered the boy by its lazy design, but endangered (well, killed) a gorilla because of it.

So if this family went to the mall, and kid got on the railings and jumped off, would you be screaming that railings weren't safely designed and all malls should get rid of railings? If they went to the park and kid run into the middle of the road and got hit by a car, should we get rid of all cars? A lot of dangerous all around that a child can get into. Sometimes world isn't designed for all the things the kid can get into.

 

[Tulessa]

I wish they could have saved this beautiful gorilla. It hurt me deeply to read what happened. As for why he was shot and not tranquilized, I think I can speak a little to this. My son has worked for years with exotic and endangered species. Animals are his life and he loves them with all his heart. He is fighting the good fight to try to keep some species from disappearing.
When an animal is tranquilized (for a medical procedure) there is a response to being shot with a dart. Because the dart is painful, it can be a very violent response which would put the child in more danger. Due to increased adrenaline rushing through the animals system, the animal will be agitated and have more energy. This makes it difficult for the tranquilizing agent to take affect. You now have an upset, unpredictable animal who may take some time to be fully out. I think the decision was made to protect the child. IMO I don't think this was an easy decision for the zoo director to make. What ever people may think of zoos, the individuals who study long and hard to work with and protect animals actually do love the beautiful creatures they care for. I'm sure there are MANY broken hearts today.

Why didn't they just put him to sleep while they rescued the small child? This is heart breaking.

 

[LinasK]

Although not children, this story reminds me of the young men who taunted the tiger at the San Francisco Zoo and it had to be killed because it lept out of it's enclosure and killed one of them. It is encumbent upon the zoos to build better enclosures to act as barriers, but it upsets me greatly that this animal had to die simply for behaving like an animal! This was all the parent's fault for not controlling an unruly 4-year-old. He didn't understand the danger. If he wasn't listening, it was up to them to remove him from the situation!!!
I hope the parents are billed/sued for whatever costs are involved.

 

[JeannaT]

Part of the task of zoos is to make the animals seem very up close and personal. This zoo seemed to have no difficulty - whatsoever - in keeping the gorillas in the enclosure, and no problem whatsoever in creating a clear barrier.

In order to make very determined athletic children from entering a habitat surrounded by a 15 foot cliff and moat, the animals would have to be much more inaccessible to being viewed and enjoyed by humans. Which is the whole entire point of a zoo, along with contributing to breeding and rescue programs for endangered species.

Did this used to be a problem, generations ago? I'd say not. I'd say it was RARE for a child to defiantly cross a border and jump down a 15 foot cliff into a moat with a gorilla in it. After being told not to several times.

 

[LinasK]

Why didn't they just put him to sleep while they rescued the small child? This is heart breaking.

Apparently they didn't think the tranquilizer would act fast enough.

 

[JeannaT]

So if this family went to the mall, and kid got on the railings and jumped off, would you be screaming that railings weren't safely designed and all malls should get rid of railings? If they went to the park and kid run into the middle of the road and got hit by a car, should we get rid of all cars? A lot of dangerous all around that a child can get into. Sometimes world isn't designed for all the things the kid can get into.

I agree. Few dangers in the world are secured in a way that it's absolutely impossible for a nimble 4 year old to gain access.

 

[JeannaT]

Why didn't they just put him to sleep while they rescued the small child? This is heart breaking.

They did address the thought about using a tranquilizer - and it wouldn't work fast enough. It would be several minutes before it took affect, and they really didn't have the luxury of that time.

 

[Montjoy]

So if this family went to the mall, and kid got on the railings and jumped off, would you be screaming that railings weren't safely designed and all malls should get rid of railings? If they went to the park and kid run into the middle of the road and got hit by a car, should we get rid of all cars? A lot of dangerous all around that a child can get into. Sometimes world isn't designed for all the things the kid can get into.

These strawman arguments are worthless. Might as well ask why we don't ban water since people can drown (or for that matter, drink so much that they die). There are different standards of liability for different situations.

 

[JeannaT]

JMHO, but make the parents pay for everyday feeding and up keep, since the day this beautiful animal arrived in Ohio! Make the parents pay for the cost of putting him down. Then make the parents pay the cost to replace this Gorilla, with another just like it! Make money talk!

Part of the problem is, this isn't just a money problem. This gorilla was 17, and still hadn't left any offspring. I don't think he's readily replaceable. The zoo was trying to set up a gorilla colony, a male and two females, and hoped to raise children there in a "gorilla community". So even bringing in a temporary stud wouldn't accomplish replacing him - the babies wouldn't be raised the way baby gorillas are meant to be raised. Sad, sad. He's just not replaceable, even with money.

 

[JeannaT]

These strawman arguments are worthless. Might as well ask why we don't ban water since people can drown (or for that matter, drink so much that they die). There are different standards of liability for different situations.

I'm really in to zoos. Are you? Just asking - because I've seen recently there have been HUGE efforts made to make the animals more accessible, while keeping the animals enclosed.

And now this. Some kid breaches the barrier that no one had thought to do before - did you see that moat? It's not as if this kid weren't paying attention and slipped, or was hanging on the railing and somehow fell in. He purposely breeched the barrier and jumped down a 15 foot cement embankment.

How can a zoo prepare for that, and still allow the pubic access to enjoying the animals?

 

[DexterMorgan]

Why didn't they just attract the gorilla with food and grab the kid while the gorilla was eating?

They usually keep the animals hungry
to keep them active and antsy while in the enclosure.

The lion show is soley controlled by giving the animal food as well to direct their attention to where they need to go.

But I agree with others. Once the gorilla started dragging the kid and people are trying to trap him. He could have easily made the kid brain dead in 2 seconds. So the zoo had no choice.

A lion trainer was just killed while cleaning the enclosure. But she died because the zoo shot it with a tranquilizer and it took way too long to take effect. So what do you do. Idk

 

[LinasK]

I'm really in to zoos. Are you? Just asking - because I've seen recently there have been HUGE efforts made to make the animals more accessible, while keeping the animals enclosed.

And now this. Some kid breaches the barrier that no one had thought to do before - did you see that moat? It's not as if this kid weren't paying attention and slipped, or was hanging on the railing and somehow fell in. He purposely breeched the barrier and jumped down a 15 foot cement embankment.

How can a zoo prepare for that, and still allow the pubic access to enjoying the animals?

Apparently there are new, more modern ways to do that even though this zoo hadn't thought it necessary previously. They can consult with the San Francisco Zoo, which still has tigers on display despite one escaping and having to be killed because it was taunted with sticks and rocks thrown at it.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Why didn't they just put him to sleep while they rescued the small child? This is heart breaking.

I agree, it's heartbreaking. I agree that every possible barrier should be provided to keep visitors out of the enclosures.

Maybe I didn't explain the tranquilizer clearly. The keepers wouldn't be able to "put him to sleep" immediately. Tranquilizers don't work like that. They take time and during this time this gorgeous guy would have been upset and possibly lashing out at the child. It would have put the child in more danger. I can't imagine that there is anyone that wouldn't be heartbroken over this. But......if it were your 4 year old, or my 4 year old.....we would want him out of there ASAP! Parents fault or not, they couldn't stand by and watch a child be killed.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Why didn't they just attract the gorilla with food and grab the kid while the gorilla was eating?

They usually keep the animals hungry to keep to keep them active and antsy while in the enclosure.

The lion show is soley controlled by giving the animal food as well to direct their attention to where they need to go.

But I agree with others. Once the gorilla started dragging the kid and people are trying to trap him. He could have easily made the kid brain dead in 2 seconds. So the zoo had no choice.

A lion trainer was just killed while cleaning the enclosure. But she died because the zoo shot it with a tranquilizer and it took way too long to take effect. So what do you do. Idk

I agree Dex. Actually, my son has worked with large cats. The keepers NEVER go into an enclosure when the cats are there. They are in a separate enclosure while the keepers clean. Anything else is keeper error.

 

[LaborDayRN]

I don't know why we should trust a zoo to keep a 400 pound gorilla in an enclosure if they can't keep a 4 year old child out of it. The zoo not only endangered the boy by its lazy design, but endangered (well, killed) a gorilla because of it.

I think that our zoo's (like our schools, highways, sewer and water systems etc) are old and dilapidated. The Cincinnati Zoo was built in 1874. Sadly, many city run zoo's are fighting for funds and losing out to other facilities or infrastructures deemed more vital.

 

[JeannaT]

It just occurred to me, this incident went on for 10+ minutes and there were no adults who even gave thought to jumping in after the kid. Even the mother, who can clearly be heard I'm here baby, mama's here. I think it literally did not OCCUR to another human to jump down that cement cliff like that child did. Nor has it occurred to anyone else, in the history of that gorilla exhibit, to do that. I do think, had the gorilla been more accessible, the mother and maybe heroic other adults would have gone in.

It simply - I believe - did not even occur to anyone watching to jump off that cliff. Which should be enough deterrent that zoo facilities would think was enough.

 

[LinasK]

I agree, it's heartbreaking. I agree that every possible barrier should be provided to keep visitors out of the enclosures.

Maybe I didn't explain the tranquilizer clearly. The keepers wouldn't be able to "put him to sleep" immediately. Tranquilizers don't work like that. They take time and during this time this gorgeous guy wouldn't have been upset and possibly lashing out at the child. It would have put the child in more danger. I can't imagine that there is anyone that wouldn't be heartbroken over this. But......if it were your 4 year old, or my 4 year old.....we would want him out of there ASAP! Parents fault or not, they couldn't stand by and watch a child be killed.

When my daughter was young I hauled her out of a storytime at the library because she wouldn't shut up (and she was publicly embarrasssed), and when she started to tantrum at my husband's workplace I dragged her into the women's bathroom and threatened to keep her there until she got control of herself. These parents were not in control! There are ways.

 

[DexterMorgan]

It just occurred to me, this incident went on for 10+ minutes and there were no adults who even gave thought to jumping in after the kid. Even the mother, who can clearly be heard I'm here baby, mama's here. I think it literally did not OCCUR to another human to jump down that cement cliff like that child did. Nor has it occurred to anyone else, in the history of that gorilla exhibit, to do that. I do think, had the gorilla been more accessible, the mother and maybe heroic other adults would have gone in.

It simply - I believe - did not even occur to anyone watching to jump off that cliff. Which should be enough deterrent that zoo facilities would think was enough.

Agree to a point. You are right. Professional bull handlers do it all the time to stop the bull from bashing in a downed rider. So they all divert the attention of the bull by multiple people running around. So that could have worked.

But I do disagree with a non professional just jumping in. This could have caused them massive damage like the lady who gotten mauled by her friend's Chimpanzee and lost hands, sight and was totally unrecognizable to this day.

So I think the best method took place in this case inregards to certain things.

But I do agree that the handlers could have diverted the attention of the animal and then shot it if all failed. But I still haven't seen the video. So I don't know.

 

[LinasK]

It just occurred to me, this incident went on for 10+ minutes and there were no adults who even gave thought to jumping in after the kid. Even the mother, who can clearly be heard I'm here baby, mama's here. I think it literally did not OCCUR to another human to jump down that cement cliff like that child did. Nor has it occurred to anyone else, in the history of that gorilla exhibit, to do that. I do think, had the gorilla been more accessible, the mother and maybe heroic other adults would have gone in.

It simply - I believe - did not even occur to anyone watching to jump off that cliff. Which should be enough deterrent that zoo facilities would think was enough.

I have to agree with this. But now the Cincinatti Zoo will have to rethink it's enclosures and a gorilla had to die needlessly because noone prevented that child from getting in. It makes me so mad!!! I put the full blame on his parents.