4 year old boy falls into gorilla enclosure at US zoo

[littleducks]

The gorilla was then shot. Really shocked at this (daily mail suggests a similar incident occurred 30 years ago in Jersey).

m.wlwt.com/news/video-gorilla-grabs-child-whos-fallen-into-habitat/39774904

if you've honestly never taken your eyes off any of your children for a moment, never been surprised by them doing something unpredictable, and never had any near miss, you're very different to most parents. The child TOLD his parents that he wanted to go into the water in the enclosure. Is that not enough indication that he might try to sneak in, therefore his parents should have been watching him a lot closer.

Agree, it's nice to think that the gorilla was acting in some caring, human-like way and only accidentally causing injuries, but if it ultimately results in it killing a 4 year old then what else could they do?

different - 4 year olds TELL their parents lots of things. I (and I'd guess almost every other parent who has ever been to a zoo) would not imagine for a minute that a child could actually get into an enclosure.

I've been in Reception class trips to the zoo and 'child gets into dangerous animal enclosure' has not even been on the risk assessment, because no one considered it a possibility. Children getting lost, falling over, the bus crashing on the way - yes. Climbing in with the gorillas - no.

You know, it wouldn't cross my mind that a child would be able to get into an animal enclosure in a zoo. I am amazed at the criticism of the parents.

different - 4 year olds TELL their parents lots of things. I (and I'd guess almost every other parent who has ever been to a zoo) would not imagine for a minute that a child could actually get into an enclosure.

So you are at a zoo, your child tells you he wants to go into the water where the gorillas live, and you DON'T think it is worth keeping an extra eye on them, in case they try, which he did...

Also don't think any parent would consent to their 4 or 5 year old going on a school trip if they thought zoos were such dangerous places that if the teacher turned their back for a minute, one of the kids could crawl through a fence and find themselves in with the lions.

Also don't think any parent would consent to their 4 or 5 year old going on a school trip if they thought zoos were such dangerous places that if the teacher turned their back for a minute, one of the kids could crawl through a fence and find themselves in with the lions

My children go on excursions because I trust the teachers to watch them. ANYTHING could happen, things HAVE happened. If my child ended up in an enclosure because a teacher wasn't paying attention, would I want that teachers head on a stick? Damn straight.

If you can't supervise children & ensure they don't come to harm (over & above the normal scrapes etc) then perhaps you need to rethink your strategy.

The parents, imo, are at fault. He indicated what he wanted, yet he was still able to get in. I am not saying that the zoo didn't perhaps make it easy for him to gain access, but I would see his request as a red flag. Doesn't make me a perfect parent. Just one with common sense.

I really don't understand why you are never allowed to criticize parents who put their children in harms way on MN. Some parents are idiots. Their choices lead to children getting hurt/killed, yet we aren't allowed to say one word against them.

This is awful for all involved. Of course the gorilla had to be shot. That's a shame. The poor animal.
The poor boy. He's so little. I really hope he makes a full recovery and isn't too damaged by this experience.
The zoo should have better enclosures. The parents should have been keeping a closer eye. Yes, kids wander off, but even so. But saying that they are probably already beating themselves up there's no need for everyone to jump on it.

It's a tragedy.

"I really don't understand why you are never allowed to criticize parents who put their children in harms way on MN. Some parents are idiots"
You are allowed to criticise and some parents are idiots. But assuming that a zoo has ensured that the animal enclosures are secure enough to keep 4 year old out is not neglectful or idiotic.

differentname - I totally understand that 'bad mother makes bad choices and is to blame and therefore my children are safe because I am a good mother' is a much safer thought than 'normal mother behaves the same as many/most parents and is unlucky and something terrible happens' because then it could be any of us. Even when the first belief sits a little uncomfortably alongside 'I once lost my child in Asda/the beach/my child ran into a road/bolted at the airport and luckily nothing happened'.

I can also assure you that on a school trip with one adult watching 5 or 6 children, they are not watching them all every second. All it takes is for one child to fall over, or wet themselves, or the phone to ring, or the teacher looks at the map.

But assuming that a zoo has ensured that the animal enclosures are secure enough to keep 4 year old out is not neglectful or idiotic. In this case, it was exactly that though, wasn't it?

If my shark loving daughter told me she wanted to swim with the sharks when we saw them recently, I would have made damn sure she was not able, for one second, to even TRY and attempt it. Yes, of course she says things in the moment, but I would have, as I have said, seen that as a red flag to keep a very close eye on her.

"But assuming that a zoo has ensured that the animal enclosures are secure enough to keep 4 year old out is not neglectful or idiotic. In this case, it was exactly that though, wasn't it?"
No it wasn't. The zoo is at fault. No one else.

Fairuza You are so wrong, it does not feel safer for me to think that at all. What makes me feel safer is that I watch my child at all times when she is with me. She is unpredictable, purely because of her age. Therefore, as her mother I am tasked with keeping her out of harms way.

I disagree. The parents had a clear warning that they choose to ignore.

I have already said the zoo made it easy for him to gain access, but so did the parents.

Gosh, I really hope you never have to do up your shoelace or look at your phone or help your other child or talk to your partner while with your daughter.

So you think the zoo should sue the parents for compensation for the dead gorilla? Because if it's their fault then surely the zoo has a strong case?

This zoo wouldn't have met UK standards for safety www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69596/standards-of-zoo-practice.pdf

8.25 Safety barriers should be designed to prevent children from getting through, under or over them. They should also be designed to discourage visitors from sitting on them.

After the Jersey incident, the experts analysed Jambo's behaviour and body language and confirmed that he was indeed protecting the child who fell into the enclosure.

Do you have a link for that, Tanith ?

Genuine interest, because when we visited Jersey zoo, I'm sure they said at the keeper talk that it was indeed a protective gesture, but it was one which protected his gorilla family from the potential hazard of the unknown creature.

I'm old enough to remember the incident itself and the subsequent news reports 😳

However, here is a link that specifically mentions the analysis - no doubt more exist:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambo

The wiki link just says protective gesture, not who he was protecting.

I also remember that the press coverage at the time said gorilla protecting the boy, but thought that the keepers were essentially myth-busting and saying he was protecting his family from the boy.

Now, I might have completely misremembered the keeper talk, which was why I was asking for links (wiki doesn't cite one for that bit).

Walking into town, wandering around shops - that's where I wouldn't take my eye off a small child. In a zoo, I'd be concerned about the distress getting separated would cause. Him getting into an enclosure wouldn't cross my mind (unless it was a guinea pig enclosure or something, in which case it would be ds not being naughty that would be my concern, not him being mauled or an animal being shot).

This is because in all the zoos I've visited it would be impossible for even the most determined small child to gain access, and bigger ones have more sense.

In reality the one place I did lose ds, albeit for five minutes, when he was wee was in Monsoon. It took seconds, and it was just him and me so the only defence I have is that I am human. As are this boy's poor parents.

The zoo are entirely culpable here. Even if the boy's parents were useless (and I am not for a second suggesting they were), the zoo allowed this to happen.

Is there a picture of the barrier anywhere?

It seemed quite high up from the video , hes lucky the fall didn't kill him, never mind the gorilla.
Can you imagine how you would feel seeing your child falling into a gorilla compound ?

It's so important to avoid anthropomorphism.