Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it's unfair to blame the mother of child hurt by gorilla?

497 replies

pinkladyapple · 30/05/2016 22:02

Yes if she was holding his hand maybe he wouldn't have ended up in the enclosure. But he could have gone over/through the fence in a split second. And the zoo should have fencing which makes this impossible, surely?

The parents aren't being prosecuted for negligence and yet the Internet seem angry at the mother.

But then the people who think that also seem to think a tranquilliser works instantly, and the gorilla wouldn't react to the pain or impact of the dart.

It's sad and terrible though. For everyone.

OP posts:
ToxicBits · 30/05/2016 23:01

The zoo round here has massive signs up saying do not climb the fences. Even on the boring animals. Do. Not. Climb. The. Fences.

PurpleDaisies · 30/05/2016 23:01

Sorry but natural consequences should have played out here and only when it was safe should they have gone in to get him. Gorillas are too precious.
Natural consequences meaning let the boy die?!

Same with the 3 lions in Costa Rica shot because some wanker decides to commit suicide by lion
The "wanker" was clearly mentally ill.

ToxicBits · 30/05/2016 23:02

Boy saying "I want to play with gorilla" you move the fuck away from that exhibit and don't give him even half a chance

Rainuntilseptember · 30/05/2016 23:02

Toxic I sincerely hope you don't have children.

ToxicBits · 30/05/2016 23:02

Yes. Which may not have happened.

Still a wanker. Of all the methods of suicide available to him.

Lunar1 · 30/05/2016 23:03

If I were to build a zoo, it would be child proof! There should be no way anyone could get into the enclosure. I'd build my zoo with idiots in mind, thinking what's the stupidest thing someone could do and prepare for it.

The parents will never forgive them self and will probably be haunted by what could have happened, the zoo have far more responsibility.

HelenaDove · 30/05/2016 23:03

Footage of Jambo the gorilla and the boy who fell into the gorilla enclosure at Jersey Zoo in 1986.

ToxicBits · 30/05/2016 23:03

I do have children. I'm not a perfect parent. This kids parents are twats.

ShowOfHands · 30/05/2016 23:04

Today my 4yo wanted to slide down the rainbow. And fly with the pigeons. Should I have taken preventative steps?

ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2016 23:05

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

monkeywithacowface · 30/05/2016 23:05

People are so full of shit. How many threads have there been on here because someone took their eyes off their child for a split second and the child wandered off or baby fell off the bed? Bloody loads and do they get slaughtered with this level of vitriol? No of course not they get a ton of sympathy and tales of how it happens to every parent. The difference is for most of us that momentary lapse in concentration doesn't end so horrifically but for these parents it did.

All you guys spewing your nasty comments think something bad could never happen to your child because you're so perfect and I hope you're right because their for the grace of god and all that..

Puzzledandpissedoff · 30/05/2016 23:05

It could have happened to absolutely any of us, the most vigilant of mothers

So again, why has it apparently not happened at that zoo before if the security/fencing arrangements are so bad?

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't think it had a record of children being comprehensively chewed by large toothy things??

monkeywithacowface · 30/05/2016 23:05

there Hmm

PurpleDaisies · 30/05/2016 23:05

Still a wanker. Of all the methods of suicide available to him.

Ever been suicidal? Known anyone with a mental illness? Logic doesn't exactly come into these decisions.

I have nothing to say within the talk guidelines to someone who thinks it's fine to let a gorilla kill a little boy. Biscuit

ToxicBits · 30/05/2016 23:06

But this wasn't a momentary lapse. This was parents with a child actively pestering to be let in to play with the gorilla. Ample warning. And even for being an annoyance I'd have moved from the exhibit just to get them to stop pestering!

Original poster
pinkladyapple · 30/05/2016 23:06

Sorry but natural consequences should have played out here and only when it was safe should they have gone in to get him. Gorillas are too precious.

Wtf did I just read. Shock

Can you tell me what is natural about the scenario, ToxicBits? It's a zoo. It's an unnatural situation. I'm sure if it was your child you'll be saying the same...?

OP posts:
Rainuntilseptember · 30/05/2016 23:07

Sorry, I assumed anyone who wrote the sentence "natural consequences should have played out here" could not possibly have children.

Wolfiefan · 30/05/2016 23:08

Zoo was at fault. A child shouldn't be able to climb in an enclosure before anyone reacted.
Parents (yes both) at fault. Not to be watching their child.
Gorilla. Dead. Poor bloody animal. Not the gorilla's fault at all. Just humans.

monkeywithacowface · 30/05/2016 23:08

Come to think of it ds told me he was going to run away to china maybe I should not go to bed and stand guard outside his bedroom until he turns 18

ToxicBits · 30/05/2016 23:08

Yes purple I do both myself and other people.

I'm not apologising for feeling anger that two species of animals whose sole reason for being pushed to extinction is humans yet again, in a supposed safe haven for them, get pushed closer due to fucking idiots. In these two instances humans should NOT have come first

ollieplimsoles · 30/05/2016 23:08

The difference is for most of us that momentary lapse in concentration doesn't end so horrifically but for these parents it did

No, it ended horrifically for an innocent endangered animal. Fuck all happened to the parents.

No of course not they get a ton of sympathy and tales of how it happens to every parent.

A child falling off a bed or briefly wandering off for a second vs. a child falling into a zoo enclosure and getting dragged around by a 700 pound gorilla. Hmmm....

Nataleejah · 30/05/2016 23:09

Today my 4yo wanted to slide down the rainbow. And fly with the pigeons. Should I have taken preventative steps?
If you live in a flat with a balcony -- definitely yes.

DancingDinosaur · 30/05/2016 23:09

The zoo is to blame. A small child should not have been able to physically get in that enclosure. It is an utter shame about the gorilla. But had the boundaries been properly closed off it wouldn't have happened.

DixieNormas · 30/05/2016 23:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NightWanderer · 30/05/2016 23:10

Rainuntilseptember
The only animals that any visitor should have the potential to get in touching distance of in a zoo are ones not harmful to humans. I had no idea I had to ensure my dcs weren't eaten by tigers, crocodiles or poisonous snakes when at the zoo. I worry about them getting lost, falling off the swings, eating too much ice cream. If I have to take responsibility for them not getting inside the enclosures of potentially lethal animals I'd rather not go back.

Seriously? There have been a number of stories over the years about people entering animal enclosures at a zoo. Only recently was a man attacked by a lion after entering its enclosure. It's kind of disturbing to me that parents have this attitude. Zoos are fairly safe but if you are determined to enter then you could. Fortunately most people don't but it does happen on occasion. Our zoo has a monkey enclosure. It has a large drop and a fence but my kids definitely could climb into it so I watch them carefully at that point. It always makes me nervous because the fence isn't very high and the drop is long. Remember that toddler that was killed at a zoo a couple of years ago when he fell into the wild dog enclousure?

Swipe left for the next trending thread