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AIBU?

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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:

Fairuza · 29/05/2016 22:05

As I said Chardonnay, you are obviously an abnormally brilliant parent to have never made a mistake or taken your eye off one child while dealing with another. Most of us are just human.

madein1995 · 29/05/2016 22:05

Ultimately, the keepers made the right decision - they couldn't stand there and watch the child be killed, and obviously they had to make a quick reaction. I bet the zoo isn't happy about it. All this banging on about the zoo being at fault though - what the hell were the parents doing being too busy to notice child climbing fence and yank him back down?! They should be fucking ashamed of themselves, actually I hope they're scared shitless right now, maybe it'll make them watch their child more carefully! Yes the zoo built the enclosure, but the parents are in charge of their child and should have bloody well be looking after him! IDIOTS.

NeedACleverNN · 29/05/2016 22:06

Fairuza

WellErrr · 29/05/2016 22:06

I don't know why they didn't tranquillise the gorilla.

I know. And they should have just cancelled the cheque too.

captainfarrell · 29/05/2016 22:07

If you have one of those children that runs off or doesn't listen when they are told where to stand in a dangerous situation, you don't let go of them. Obviously the zoo staff had to act and it's a real shame that there is no alternative to a bullet.

dustarr73 · 29/05/2016 22:07

Chardonay I have 5 kids and I still can't see iinto the futurefuture of what kids do.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 29/05/2016 22:08

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe Sun 29-May-16 21:51:41
Of course I've made mistakes, but really, letting a child go into the gorilla enclosure is a not really a mistake, it's much more than that.
Add message | Report | Message poster

When did I say I was?
Do you actually read the thread Fairuza?

Fairuza · 29/05/2016 22:09

captain - what if you have a child that normally listens and doesn't run off?

madein1995 · 29/05/2016 22:09

And yes, all parents take their eyes off their kids for a minute. But I'm sure it'd have taken longer than that for a child to climb over an enclosure. And surely if you're talking to your DH, someone is holding the child's hand or such like? They shouldn't be given the opportunity to wander anyway, gorilla nonwithstanding - anything could happen! If you have kids then look after them. I hope the parents are ashamed and beating themselves up. What if the zoo staff had been that bit slower, their child could have been killed. And I know EXACTLY whose fault it would have been (not gorilla, acting on instincts, not keepers who don't have parental responsibility, the parents). Carelessness has consequences, surely adults know this.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 29/05/2016 22:10

The child told them he wanted to go down to the gorillas, I think that helps with predicting the near future, Dustarr.

Fairuza · 29/05/2016 22:11

Chardonnay - I've made mistakes, I've lost a child in a busy shop, but I've never let my child walk off with kidnappers. That's not really a mistake is it, it's much more than that. I wouldn't have any sympathy for the parents of kidnapped children.

lovemyway · 29/05/2016 22:11

Awful lack of care by the parents. For a 4 year old to scale a fence without it's parents noticing is neglectful. Forget they were by a wild animal enclosure, my biggest fear in a crowded place would be losing my child.

Birdsgottafly · 29/05/2016 22:12

I wish incidents like this would make people be bothered to learn about why these Gorilla's (and other animals) are disappearing from the wild and get involved to stop it, rather than boohoo'ing over one tragic event.

There was no other option than to shoot the Gorilla dead.

There needs to be a way of checking this type of fence, whether by remote camera/drone etc.

I also think that if your child needs reigns, use them, upto the age of about five, if necessary, in some situations.

My eldest had (has) ADHA, if there was a gap in something, she found it. I couldn't let her go on a ferry etc, with anyone else.

Places designed for public use, should be safe.

Original poster

AdrenalineFudge · 29/05/2016 22:13

The child just didn't fall in automatically in the same why you might stumble over a pavement stone. So in this particular instance the parents were indeed negligent. And thank fuck that child is now okay, but that gorilla had to die for this. This situation could have been avoided and it could have been stopped. It didn't just happen. It could have been avoided. Those parents are truly awful.

OP posts:

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 29/05/2016 22:13

Kidnapping is not mistake someone makes, it a crime someone else decides to commit. It's nothing to do with parenting.

thebestfurchinchilla · 29/05/2016 22:14

I wouldn't have any sympathy for the parents of kidnapped children.

Nice.

Original poster

AdrenalineFudge · 29/05/2016 22:15

How long does it take to climb into such an enclosure? Longer than a parent takes to notice what you're up to?

OP posts:

Godstopper · 29/05/2016 22:15

Thread title should be: An endangered Gorilla has been shot dead after the parents were * sleeping and failing to parent their child.

Seriously, whilst children can be slippery, how the actual does a child manage to stroll into a gorilla enclosure without their notice? And because of that parenting failure, an animal has lost its life. I feel sorry for the gorilla, most of all.

Dolly80 · 29/05/2016 22:15

I hate that the gorilla was killed (well, if I'm hating stuff I hate he had to live in captivity) That said, the zoo could not let the child be killed, regardless of who was at fault. In my view, there were limited options and they took the one that saved the child.

Fairuza · 29/05/2016 22:16

Last time I was at the zoo I saw a woman running round frantic because she'd lost one of her kids (she had a smaller one with her). Was she truly awful Adrenaline?

I felt a huge amount of sympathy for her. I'm sure most of us have experienced that panic when we look round have realise we can't see our child.

It certainly didn't occur to me for a moment that her child could have got into a dangerous animal enclosure though.

cosmicglittergirl · 29/05/2016 22:16

What a bonkers thing to say about kidnapping.

Highsteaks · 29/05/2016 22:16

Yes the child was saying he wanted to go in with the gorillas. Surely that would be enough to make the parents super vigilant.

Highsteaks · 29/05/2016 22:18

Fairuza was being ironic about the kidnapping, no?

ProudAS · 29/05/2016 22:18

I've been reading the story about Jambo and the boy who fell into his pit. Jambo guarded and protected the boy and shooting him would have been wrong.

This latest incident looks totally different from the footage. The animal was agitated and the child could easily have drowned. Heartbreaking but they did the right thing by shooting.

NeedACleverNN · 29/05/2016 22:19

Yes the child was saying he wanted to go in with the gorillas. Surely that would be enough to make the parents super vigilant

I don't think anyone would have thought for a moment that he would have been able to get in with the gorillas. I know I wouldn't have even thought it was possible

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