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

[AdrenalineFudge]

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.

crazy that's what I noticed, the mother was all, God this, God that but no mention of any kind of remorse for the situation, the animal dying to save her son or anything.

I hate it when they thank god for things like that. Why would an all loving all knowing god allow the child to be in danger in the first place?

I agree, the God explanation is crass and self-centred.

She should ask God for forgiveness for she clearly did not know what she was doing

Bloody hell ash that's a child you're talking about.

ash are you referring to the mother or the child?

Did anyone read he second link posted on page 18? Here it is again.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/cincinnati-zoo-eyewitness-defends-mum-8083156

According to the eyewitness, whose husband attempted to grab the boy, the mother had started looking for her son before he got into the enclosure but she couldn't see him because he was in the bushes. This man and his wife tried to grab him but he went over the edge before they could get hold of him. The mother was frantic and had to be restrained from climbing down herself to get him back. So she was paying attention enough to notice he'd gone missing within moments of it happening and noticed he'd gone before he got into the enclosure. He was hidden from view by the bushes so she couldn't have watched him climb in even if she'd wanted to.

Also, how pathetic to mock her for giving thanks to God. I'm not religious but if she is then so fucking what if she wants to thank her God!?

Fuck off ash with your nasty, racist remark.

how is that racist?

Any chance of clarifying what you mean ash?

You need to ask that!? An African American child falls into a gorilla enclosure and you make a crack about shooting monkeys? Are you really that thick?

A monkey comment? Really? And you don't see what's racist about it?

Wtf are you going on about? How is this in any way related to the Trayvon Martin case?

Zoo staff are not always compassionate to animals. Remember Marius the giraffe. Was really 'sensible' to shoot and dismember him in front of onlooking children.

I'm shocked at people's attitudes. I am a huge animal fan, I probably prefer them to people, and I don't have my own children, but even I can see that it would have been crazy to leave the child in such a dangerous situation. It was awful to watch the child being dragged through the water. The gorilla treated him like a toy rather than a being. And you can't risk a tranquilizer making the animal more agitated before it calmed. Could you imagine if the child had been killed??

Yes it's awful that the gorilla had to be killed. He was wonderful, and from an endangered species. I don't enjoy seeing animals in zoos at all, but if they have to be the zoos owe it to them to protect them the public being able to access them. So I blame the zoo. Yes the mother lost the child for a few moments, in an ideal world it would never happen, but let's face it, most parents have had an excited child run off for a few seconds too. These were just really unfortunate seconds that led to a sad catalogue of events.

I dont know why they couldnt sedate it, it did look like they were playing however i guess they diddnt want to take the risk of losing the child, his mother is at fault here, she should have been looking after him properly and because she wasnt a gorilla has lost its life. The child was threatening to go in with the gorilla so why the hell diddnt she keep a closer eye on him?

According to an eyewitness, the mother noticed he was missing before he got into the enclosure and was looking for him. Another couple saw him but he was hidden from the mother's view by the bushes. They followed him into the bushes and tried to grab him but he fell over the edge before they could lay hands on him. She could only have taken her eyes off him for a second for her to have noticed he was missing so quickly. He should not have been able to access the enclosure so quickly via the bushes.

shazza that's already been dealt with. If someone shot you with a dart you'd be a bit pissed off. They don't work quickly enough to knock the gorilla out before he could kill the child.

The gorilla didn't drag the child under water, he was moving him. Gorillas are not crocodiles. If the gorilla wanted to kill him he could of very easily rather than play with him.
The gorilla dragged the boy through the water very aggressively. He could easily have smashed his head on a rock or drowned him in the process. His concept of 'playing' was extremely dangerous to the boy.

well said ollie, totally expresses my feelings on the mothers 'God' cop out.

I'm very saddened about what happened but at the end of the day that enclosure should have been 100% inaccessible to the public.

Parents can lose their children and yes, the mother should have been watching him but children can be so quick to disappear in crowds. No matter how he got 'lost' or how careless his parents may have been it still should have been impossible for that boy to get in with the gorilla.

Yes, the mother perhaps should have kept a closer eye on him but the zoo are also at fault for not having their enclosures completely secure.