Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

About the parents of the boy who fell in the gorilla enclosure?

76 replies

user1463172942 · 31/05/2016 14:33

Sorry, I know there are other threads about this but I have just been shown the Daily Fail's latest bit of 'reporting' on this.

They have dug up the fact that the boy's father had a drug dealing conviction a decade ago. This is pointed out in a huge headline. About 100 lines later, in tiny print, they note that since then he had been college, held down a normal job, married and had a family. For a DECADE!

They have stalked his Facebook account and say that all the photos are of his wife, kids and work.

They have interviewed a load of randoms blaming the parents and insisting that they categorically KNEW the gorilla would not hurt the boy.

That poor family... For all I know they could be neglectful parents but nothing I have seen or read provides any evidence of this. They were looking after a baby and for all it seems were distracted when the 4 year old fell. I have 3 kids and could easily see how this could happen.

I can't help wondering how different the reaction would have been if it was the child of a middle class white couple ( and I say that as someone who is middle class and white).

I really feel for them. Their little boy will probably be completely traumatised long after he has physically recovered. The whole family will probably suffer as a result of his previous conviction being made public.

OP posts:

mamamea · 31/05/2016 16:51

"When I took my children to the zoo I let them run on the grass and be a bit free because it should be safe. The zoo failed this family and it's more by luck than judgment it hasn't happened before."

Absolute irresponsible bollocks.

Zoos are NOT playgrounds, and people need to understand that. They are filled with wild animals who can become seriously distressed by the behaviour of your child who you let run 'a bit free'.

It's ridiculous to assume that a zoo is 100% safe against all idiocy, any more than it is safe to let your child fall in the pond at the park, or walk in front of the swings.

TheFairyCaravan · 31/05/2016 17:02

My children running up the grass in the middle of Twycross Zoo didn't cause any distress to any animals mamaea. Our children were incredibly well behaved in public and at home. So pull your judgey pants right out of your arse.

A child should not be able to fall in to a wild animal's cage in a zoo!

JeanGenie23 · 31/05/2016 17:03

I agree with flumpet.

Whilst I know many zoos work with conservation projects, they exist largely for our entertainment, and I can't shake the feeling that had this animal been in the wild, where it belongs, this would never of happened.

The enclosure should not have been accessible to a four year old. That was the zoos fault. The parents both took their eyes off the ball long enough for him to not just wonder off but to also climb Down into the gorillas cage. parents must accept responsibility for this

Nataleejah · 31/05/2016 17:47

The parents will probably (rightly) sue the zoo
I'd actually like to see them try... But in America hell knows.... You can get compensated for drying your cat in a microwave

Wetbankhols · 31/05/2016 18:20

Well, everyone saying it shouldn't be accessible to a four year old, it isn't really, is it, any more than the sea is accessible at the top of a cliff.

Just a bit strange the zoo isn't filled with toddlers dropping like lemmings into enclosures.

Fairuza · 31/05/2016 18:29

JeanGenie - the mum was taking a photograph. The child slipped behind a bush and out of view. She was looking for him before he even fell in.

bomfunk · 31/05/2016 19:54

God, just today at the library with my 3DC, there's a nice 'play' bit of the library with a reading den climbing structure and some big blocks, bookshelves that double up as crawling tunnels etc, turned from one to another and suddenly my 2 year old was gone - he'd run round the corner and got into the lift luckily a man was in there and held the door so it didn't move. It happened in a matter of seconds. I just don't see how demonising the parents (specifically the mum) is now helping the situation. Fortunately for me all worked out ok, but I can so easily see how something like this could happen. In my opinion, any 'blame' apportioned should be aimed at the zoo - the enclosures should be absolutely child proof beyond measure. And the daily mail are cunts.

JeanGenie23 · 31/05/2016 20:22

I absolutely agree anything can happen in a matter of seconds, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the child got into the enclosure, I would want to know why he thought that was ok, my four year would know not to do that even if there was a gaping big whole in the side of the fence (which there obviously wasn't), and that as a result an animal has died. As I said a number of errors, from all parties concerned, all except the gorilla, who is dead

JeanGenie23 · 31/05/2016 20:25

Bomfunk- it happens, and you would expect running off from a 2yr old, but I would hope most four year olds understood (unless perhaps there was a SN) that you don't climb into a wild animals enclosure. The parents will have big lessons to learn from this just as much as the zoo

Bearpeep · 31/05/2016 20:38

The parents both took their eyes off the ball long enough for him to not just wonder off but to also climb Down into the gorillas cage. parents must accept responsibility for this

Witnesses have stated that the mother had his hand. She told him to hold onto her pocket while she took a photo. She took the photo and in that second he was gone. She immediately began looking for him but he was in the bushes, out of her sight. Another couple saw him go in and attempted to grab him but he fell over the edge before they could. The mother had to be restrained from climbing down herself to get him and the husband of the couple who tried to grab him also had to be told by his wife not to go down. It took literally seconds from him being at his mothers side to him tumbling over the edge of the enclosure. He is a preschooler, not a ninja, there is no way he should have been able to get in there so quickly.

SouthWestmom · 31/05/2016 20:46

Nataleejah

The only racial parallel i see is when unarmed black kids get shot dead because a white copper felt "threatened"

What do you exactly mean? It sounds dangerously like equating the gorilla to a black kid. Which surely isn't your intent? And I thought the kid was black?

Griphook · 31/05/2016 20:57

Mother is still totally to blame and she's really not doing herself any favours on her statements to the press. and the dad. Why is all the vitriol aimed the the mum. ( not that I blame them myself)

Bearpeep · 31/05/2016 21:04

Why is all the vitriol aimed the the mum

Because a mothers place is in the wrong...

HunterHearstHelmsley · 31/05/2016 21:15

I'm seriously shaking my head at the animal lovers bring despicable human beings comments.

Thank fuck I'm not friends with any of you! It's not our place to decide that humans are the only important thing in this world. Some people seem to be of the impression that humans must always be priority without a thought for anything else. That is sickening.

Bearpeep · 31/05/2016 21:22

Hunter, in this case it was a choice between the child or the gorilla. I absolutely think that the zoo staff made the right decision, no doubt a very difficult decision but the right decision all the same.

whois · 31/05/2016 21:27

I don't think it should have been possible for a small child to climb into the enclosure. The wall/fence/glass should have been high enough to have prevented that.

NickiFury · 31/05/2016 21:36

What exactly do you think should have happened in this instance Hunter? Serious question.

LittleMissBossyBoots · 31/05/2016 21:39

People don't want secure animal enclosures anymore. That's a massive factor in this. When I was a kid and went to the zoo all the animals were caged or fully contained. Last week I took 3 year old DS to the zoo and apart from the big cats all the animal enclosures were easily accessible for anyone so inclined. For example the 'savannah' bit, which contains buffalo, zebra, elephants, giraffes, rhinos and others only has a two bar fence around it. There's then about a metre of grass and then a drop of around 10ft into the field. Any child could have got in if they weren't being watched like a hawk.

LittleMissBossyBoots · 31/05/2016 21:45

Here's a picture of it.

About the parents of the boy who fell in the gorilla enclosure?

Imaginosity · 31/05/2016 22:02

Some people on here are so OTT righteous. They would never ever accidentally let a 4 year old out of their sight for a split second in a place that is meant to be safe for children to visit.

Zoos are not meant to be potentially dangerous places for the visiting public. If they were, the Zoo would be trying to get you to sign a waiver when you enter agreeing you won't sue in the event that you're attacked by a dangerous animal.

A 4 year old child should not be able to get into a gorilla enclosure.

We don't all have uber-sensible 4 year olds and we're not all perfectly perfect parents.

Misselthwaite · 31/05/2016 22:09

Kids are really pretty stupid a lot of the time and basically never expect anything bad to happen to them. I know of a 15year old who lost a finger by poking the chain on his motorbike. I know of a kid who died shot by their older brother who was cleaning a loaded gun. I can think of a kid who drowned swimming in the water at a disused quarry. Another kid who died playing on a building site. All of these children were a lot older than 4, all would have known that what they were doing was risky it didn't stop any of them. The kid should never have been able to get into the enclosure with or without their parents watching them.

LittleMissBossyBoots · 31/05/2016 22:19

True. We were in the lion enclosure at Longleat and my teenage cousin started to open the window because the male lion was just on the other side and she wanted a photo.

BetterthanEE · 31/05/2016 22:19

My Facebook has filled up with perfect parents who would never let their children out of their sight for a second, oh no.
Despite the fact I've been with one of them and frantically searched a supermarket for 2 of the longest minutes of our lives.
Oh and the parent who posted last week about loosing her son at the beach for a second and panicking.
Not forgetting the other mum who posted to say their son had managed to climb and open the front door and was walking down the street before she realised.
Nope, none of that is the same. Oh no. Not at all

Griphook · 31/05/2016 22:25

Because a mothers place is in the wrong... sad but true

Wetbankhols · 31/05/2016 22:58

The general thought on this I think is not whether the child could have got into the gorilla enclosure or not, but no other child has done so before. Because we know some things and places are Out Of Bounds; No Entry. My two year old understands that.

Ergo, whether the mother or father was right or wrong, we deduce this child is poorly behaved, lacks boundaries, lacks a sense of appropriateness, lacks guidance. And we can only assume this comes from his parents - what they were actually doing that day isn't the point.

Yes, he could have special needs of some kind, but outside of Mumsnet, that won't count for anything much.

And the world cares little for badly behaved children from chaotic families. The gorilla is far more precious.

Flip

1 2 3 4