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Original poster

An endangered gorilla has been shot dead after a 4-yo fell into its zoo enclosure

675 replies

AdrenalineFudge · 29/05/2016 20:32

Why the fuck has this happened... again - to another endangered species?

A little boy fell into an enclosure and the zoo staff decided the best course of action was to shoot the gorilla dead.

I'm not even sure who I'm most angry at. This should not have happened in the first place.

OP posts:
Mummamayhem · 30/05/2016 15:58

Sad as it is, if it were my 4yo I'd want the same thing. In reality most would if it were their child.

TurquoiseMoon · 30/05/2016 15:58

Yeah, if it was their own stupid fault, I do think that the person should have been left. I don't care if I'm awful. It's awful that an innocent animal has lost its life and if it was a grown adult who had thrown themselves into the enclosure, they should deal with the consequences

Fairuza · 30/05/2016 16:01

Anyone who isn't a vegan is happy for millions of innocent animals to die in much nastier circumstances every day. Seems a bit hypocritical to get into a self-righteous frenzy over this one.

TrivialBlah · 30/05/2016 16:02

I only hope the parents don't now sue the Zoo. I don't think that would go down well at all. I'm sure there'll be some hot shot lawyer willing to take the case on.

AllPowerfulLizardPerson · 30/05/2016 16:03

"The mother, ironically, is owner/manager of a childcare facility. If such an incident happened in that context, there would no doubt be criminal proceedings."

I've read in the news today that there is a police investigation into the circumstances of how the boy came to fall. Which has to include whether the barrier was adequate and in good repair

TrivialBlah · 30/05/2016 16:03

I wonder what will happen to the other gorillas now? Will a new male be introduced?

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 30/05/2016 16:08

The mother, ironically, is owner/manager of a childcare facility. If such an incident happened in that context, there would no doubt be criminal proceedings.

is she? All this publicity can't be good for business then.

And this is another thing.
If this child had been in the care of someone else, paid to look after him, say a nanny, a teacher, would people here still be so quick to say " Oh, never mind, you can't watch them all the time"?

Somehow I don't think so.

Glad the child is OK, but that statement could have mentioned they are sad the gorilla had to destroyed.

honkinghaddock · 30/05/2016 16:09

A grown adult doing this is likely to be seriously unwell and not responsible for their actions.

Nataleejah · 30/05/2016 16:13

If a small child gets lost in a zoo no right thinking person would reasonably expect they could somehow end up in the enclosure of a dangerous animal.

Zoos are not bank vaults. If you're hell bent on trouble, child or adult, there is always quite possible to climb/jump into enclosures. Bloody kid was lucky that he didn't jump to swim with crocodiles.

Roussette · 30/05/2016 16:17

I don't want to add fuel to the fire because I have mixed feelings on all of this but...

on a US news piece it said a bystander had reported that the boy had been on and on to his Mum that he wanted to get into the gorilla enclosure. They then said that he had to lift wire, climb something, move across something else (can't remember exact wording) so it wasn't just a case of in in seconds and fall into water.

If my child had been on about getting in with the gorilla I would have been watching him like a hawk.

The gorilla was going to be part of a breeding programme, he was just getting to his prime at 17 years old so it is very sad. I am not sure what good can come out of this but I wish the Mother had acknowledged the loss of the gorilla, and maybe perhaps donated to the breeding programme or something like that.

AllPowerfulLizardPerson · 30/05/2016 16:18

"This is my local zoo. The child didn't fall in. He climbed over a rock barrier, through bushes, under a metal railing, and over a chain-link fence to fall 12 feet down into a moat around the gorilla enclosure. The enclosure has been there for 38 years, and nothing like this has ever happened, despite hundreds of thousands of visitors every year."

I wonder how long that took, and why no-one seems to have seen him in the no-man's land.

Roussette · 30/05/2016 16:24

My one worry is... the US being the litigious society it is, I hope to God the Zoo didn't take the easy option of shooting the gorilla for fear of millions being paid out if anything even not fatal at all happened to the boy.

On reading that back, I think that was probably the case.

mamamea · 30/05/2016 16:26

It is normal practice to distract dangerous or aggressive great apes with fruit or other treats.

Not to shoot them!

NeedACleverNN · 30/05/2016 16:28

They tried to coax him away mama

The two females went indoors with no protest.

He refused

Fairuza · 30/05/2016 16:29

Of course the zoo couldn't take the risk of the gorilla seriously injuring or killing a child Rousette - do you really think they should have risked it?

mamamea - they did try to bring the gorillas back inside.

PhilPhilConnors · 30/05/2016 16:37

A friend of mine lost her Ds in M&S once, he was a placid child, not a runner, yet he disappeared for an hour. The whole place was locked down, he was eventually found standing inside a jacket that was hanging up with other jackets.

Had she posted this on MN, I doubt one person would have flamed her. We have all been in situations which could have had a tragic outcome, unless we all keep our DC chained to us at all times.

God knows how the boy got into the gorilla enclosure, but it can't have been terribly secure for him to have managed it. I don't see how there could have been any other outcome.

mamamea · 30/05/2016 16:37

"They tried to coax him away mama

The two females went indoors with no protest.

He refused"

The extent of the 'coaxing' is not clear.

I've dealt with aggressive great apes, they are not 'called'; you instead give them what they want.

The zoo's statement said that the females were ' recalled immediately', however as the male was the one with the boy, the females behaviour is not really relevant.

The strong implication is that they called the gorillas, the females came straight away, the male did not respond, so he was shot dead 'immediately'.

Given that the child had been in there for 10 minutes, uninjured, it is not reasonable to assume that he was about to be killed.

angelos02 · 30/05/2016 16:38

I'm no animal lover but don't see how the life of a grown mammal is seen as less important than that that of a small mammal.

Roussette · 30/05/2016 16:49

Fairuza I know. The zoo had no choice. It's just sad. I know we've only seen a bit of the footage but the gorilla looked like he was protecting the boy and the bit where he gets him to stand up.... (reminds me of that daft King Kong film with Jack Black). I'm not making light of this, it's just there are no winners are there.

Fairuza · 30/05/2016 16:52

Maybe watch the other video where he's dragging the child around then.

Roussette · 30/05/2016 16:54

Yes Fairuza I saw that too. FWIW I am not disagreeing with you. As I said, the zoo had no choice.

MistressMerryWeather · 30/05/2016 16:55

People are idiots, they really are.

It's sickening to watch the outrage competition going on.

Do you think they should have let the little boy die, angelos02?

Shannyfanny · 30/05/2016 16:56

The child was heard saying how he wanted to play with the gorilla. The gorilla was curious he wasn't harming the child, the parents should of been watching the child.
The full video moments before the gorrila was shot:

Shannyfanny · 30/05/2016 16:58

fairuza gorilla are not like humans were they will hold something which isnt their baby, he was moving the child, he was curious and the child shouldnt of been in their in the first place. It is his home, if someone invaded your home would you expect to be shot for it?

NeedACleverNN · 30/05/2016 17:00

How can you say he wasn't harming the child there shanny?

He is dragging him around with brute force.

He may have been gentle for a gorilla but he was still too rough. One wrong move and bye bye little boy