Page 18 | An endangered gorilla has been shot dead after a 4-yo fell into its zoo enclosure

AdrenalineFudge · 2016-05-29T19:32:16+00:00

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.

Flashbangandgone · 30/05/2016 18:30

Chardonnay

I would blame to zoo as any reasonable person would!! Why is your focus on the parent/teachers. The security of the animals is completely the zoo's responsibilty.

It's a bit like blaming teachers for a train crash (for a trip travelling by train) because the train derailed. (Why didn't the teachers check the track first?!)

Nataleejah · 30/05/2016 18:35

Is it because he was a gorilla and therefore a favourite animal and human like?
Partly, yes. Gentle, peaceful animal. The child was unhurt. It was excessive force. If it was let's say a tiger, it would be also tragic, but totally different situation.

green18 · 30/05/2016 18:38

The security of the animals is completely the zoo's responsibilty. The animal was secure, the child wasn't.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 30/05/2016 18:39

It's a bit like blaming teachers for a train crash (for a trip travelling by train) because the train derailed. (Why didn't the teachers check the track first?!)

That's a completely different situation. Checking the track is a not what the teachers are responsible for.
Looking after the pupils and watching them is.
If a pupil disappears when a teacher is not paying attention, that is what I'm talking about.

acasualobserver · 30/05/2016 18:39

I don't think a human life is worth more than one of our majestic endangered species such as a gorilla or an elephant. I actually think it's worth far less.

What about a majestic but unendangered species? Or endangered but unmajestic?

captainfarrell · 30/05/2016 18:40

Not all children need to be kept hold of. Some do though. Parents know their own child or should do. Both the parents and the zoo are to blame, the gorilla is the only innocent party.

notamummy10 · 30/05/2016 18:41

I think there is blame on both sides, the zoo have a responsibility of keeping the visitors and animals safe with the appropriate security measures (I'm aware that the zoo is an open enclosure) but the parents should be keeping an eye on their child, the zoo isn't a children's playground.

The zoo shouldn't have killed the gorilla, a tranquilliser gun would have been more effective than killing an endangered species... Surely the zoo was there to prevent these gorillas from being hunted in the wild

thebestfurchinchilla · 30/05/2016 18:41

That's a completely different situation. Checking the track is a not what the teachers are responsible for.
Looking after the pupils and watching them is.

This.

mamamea · 30/05/2016 18:43

"I agree, it's nothing to do with the father... He's blameless... As is the zoo for having such crap security a 4 yo could get into a gorilla enclosure. How can the zoo possibly be to blame in any way? No, 100% the mother. hmm"

He probably wasn't even there? The mother's statement says "me and my son" and "blame a parent"

If the father had been there, she would not have used those singular words.

Statements from eyewitnesses do not suggest that the father was present.

"The Associated Press reported that witnesses heard the boy’s mother tell him he couldn’t go in the water with the gorillas after he said he wanted to. Witnesses said the mother was with several other young children."

PhilPhilConnors · 30/05/2016 18:44

Chardonnay, children do escape from parents/teachers plenty of times. The vast, vast majority of times they are found, no harm done.

This child escaped into a gorilla pen. This should not have been able to happen.

What should have happened was:

Child escapes, parent hunt around and find said child.

Instead, the child was able to enter an enclosure.

ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2016 18:48

I never once said the parents were neglectful Phil

And I'm sorry but I don't think I am condemning the vast majority of parents because letting your child fall into a fucking gorilla enclosure is not a 'narrow squeak' in my eyes.

and don't think for a minute that I think every child should be on reins or holding hands 100% of the time, I don't think this at all. Children should be free to explore.

In this circumstance its her fault-
child actually warns her that he wants to go to the gorillas
she fails to watch the child properly or warn him of the danger
he falls in.

There are many boisterous, exploratory and fearless 4 year olds, shes not the only mother with a child who likes to run off.
But its ok an endangered species got shot and killed, after all "God was watching over" her child..

..good thing somebody was.

PurpleDaisies · 30/05/2016 18:49

The zoo shouldn't have killed the gorilla, a tranquilliser gun would have been more effective than killing an endangered species...

Tranquilliser darts do not work immediately. It was a horrible situation but once the little boy was in the enclosure with a massive gorilla playing with him I don't think there was any other option but to shoot the gorilla.

It should never have got that far-how on earth did the zoo not check it's enclosures were secure?

thebestfurchinchilla · 30/05/2016 18:49

Yes and if this had happened on a school trip, the teachers would most definitely be blamed. However on this thread, some feel there is no blame to be apportioned to the parents at all.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 30/05/2016 18:50

Child escapes, parent hunt around and find said child.

But that's exactly what didn't happen Phil. The parents didn't start hunting around until it was too late. Why?
It should never have come to the entering bit.

PhilPhilConnors · 30/05/2016 18:54

Parent couldn't find the child because it had managed to get into the gorilla pen.
The child slipped away, like many children do.
The child should not have been able to get into the gorilla enclosure at all, whether he wanted to or not.

HelenaDove · 30/05/2016 18:56

This is absolutely tragic.

Good point about how differently it would be viewed if it was a teacher on a school trip.

NeedACleverNN · 30/05/2016 19:03

www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/mum-boy-who-fell-gorilla-8080846

Article from mum

www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/cincinnati-zoo-eyewitness-defends-mum-8083156?ICID=FB_mirror_main

One from an eyewitness

I'm more shocked that I read animal lovers claim they should have shot the mother!

RufusTheReindeer · 30/05/2016 19:05

chardonnay

How on earth do you know that they didnt start looking for him within a minute or two

Or Do you mean that a minute was too late

papayasareyum · 30/05/2016 19:13

I've been in a few zoos where the enclosures seemed a bit inadequate. At a zoo in France, I didn't stay long at the lion enclosure because the fence seemed too LOW. I was so concerned I asked one of the staff how high lions can jump and he looked at me like I was crazy. Also (different zoo) a similar thing at a wolf enclosure; wire fence seemed too low. Made me twitchy.

Flashbangandgone · 30/05/2016 19:14

That's a completely different situation. Checking the track is a not what the teachers are responsible for.

You're missing the point... it is as unreasonable to expect parents or teachers to check zoo enclosures for security flaws before a zoo visit as it is to expect them to check the safety of a railway track before a train trip.

Flashbangandgone · 30/05/2016 19:15

Maybe I've just been to zoos with excellent safety... never had an issue at Whipsnade for instance in all my 20+ visits.

papayasareyum · 30/05/2016 19:17

Whipsnade is an awesome zoo with massive and impenetrable enclosures.

thebestfurchinchilla · 30/05/2016 19:20

You're missing the point... it is as unreasonable to expect parents or teachers to check zoo enclosures for security flaws before a zoo visit as it is to expect them to check the safety of a railway track before a train trip. But it wouldn't matter if the child was supervised.

Nataleejah · 30/05/2016 19:23

I'm more shocked that I read animal lovers claim they should have shot the mother!
highly emotionally charged issues always attract responses from unreasonable individuals.

Her response 'accidents happen' is appalling. No apology, no nothing.
It wasn't a trip-and-fall accident.

Shadowracer · 30/05/2016 19:32

Good point about how differently it would be viewed if it was a teacher on a school trip.
Well my limited experience of school trips is that they are generally well organised, and depending on age and number of children there is normally a briefing, and dedicated staff members to ensure 'health and safety' is adhered to. Furthermore the school trips I've been involved in its normally two adults to approx 10 children. It means should a child go AWOL there is still an adult supervising the other 9 children, enabling other adult to raise the alarm. Furthermore when it's other people's children, the supervising adults will be more on the 'alert' for potential problems, and finally if you know your pupils then it's possible to make provision for the child who might pose more of a risk. but things do go wrong on school trips, luckily most of time 'a near miss' is resolved with no harm done, duly reported on return of the school, and something put in place to prevent a repeat action occurring. Sadly school trips have gone wrong leading to tragic consequence, and people are quick to apportion blame. Normally though it is a catalogue of small errors that lead to dire consequences which can not be foreseen and only with hindsight can we start to unravel the causes which lead to such outcomes. The Titanic springs to mind, but I am sure there are many others.
at the end of the day we are all human, we all screw up from time to time, non of us are infallible, and most of the time it's an error in judgement. But trying to apportion blame, wont resolve help.