Should've the gorilla been shot?

[Vannie]

Its time for stricter gorilla laws in this country. If people had less gorillas,this might not happen.

 

[zoltanspawn]

Out of curiosity does anyone know how tall the kid is?

The average 3 year old boy in America is apparently 37.5 inches.

Plenty of public buildings and places end up with strange compromises and barriers in place to stop stupid human behaviour.
The tough thing about people is that some are persistent and will overcome almost any obstacle to be able to endanger themselves. Not just toddlers.

There are people climbing radio aerials, hanging from cranes and swinging from bridge girders, when any one of them fall, people start accusing the owners of negligence.
That's not really fair.

One consideration here is that radio aerials, cranes and bridge girders do not invite the public into close contact. In the case of zoos, the public is encouraged to enjoy their proximity to the animals. Hence, there is a greater burden on the zookeeper to keep effective barriers in place for the protection of the animals and idiot humans.

I believe we are clever enough to create barriers which are both beautiful and effective.

(Though I don't believe we should enclose wild animals like this in the first place.)

 

[zoltanspawn]

RIP Harambe. Lovely guy.



More photos here.

 

[Vannie]

His ass was a bit hairy for my liking.

Very uncalled for Vannie! Thats enough now!

 

[pat grimshaw]

He's almost as adorable as Cedric The Lion.

 

[zoltanspawn]

He's almost as adorable as Cedric The Lion.

Eventually, our experience of the natural world will include proper names for all that are left.

 

[NotHardUp1]

Everyone who supports the shooting uses this exact flawed argument.

I'm unaware of anyone out there saying "the child deserved to die and should have been made to." That's a complete straw man position. Many of us don't agree this was the "only option." I'd say it was "the only option within acceptable liability concerns on the part of the zoo."

We're talking about slaughtering a member of a species that has almost been wiped off the earth. Shooting him dead to utterly absolutely guarantee beyond any shadow of a doubt no possible harm to a single human was the "only possible option?"

Whether you believe it or not, it was the only option. The fact that the boy was alive for as long as he was enabled the animal handlers to take the shot. Whether the gorilla would have protected him, hurt him, handed him over, was impossible to determine, and as such, was a risk the zoo could not accept. And it wasn't just litigation. They boy was alive, and there was a chance of saving him. The endangered status of the species was never the question. Any time wild animals are kept in containment, there is a risk of having to put one down for a number of reasons. Threat to human lives is not the least of them.

It seems likely that the gorilla was shot simply because the zoo feared litigation, which it has probably got coming as the child could have died from the fall alone. The blame game involving the parents, and the zoo will probably remain an important news headline for some time.

Worth noting that at least 60 people were shot, six fatally, over the Memorial Day weekend in Chicago.

I don't think litigation was the reason. The woman filming the episode was not hysterical, not screaming, but was lucid and rational. She plainly stated in her interview that the gorilla was acting more aggressive after he took the boy to the top of the habitat. She believed the situation was worsening.

As for the deaths in Chicago, none of them had silver backs. We only care about pet species facing extinction, not the poor.

For what it's worth, Harambe was born and raised in captivity. Harambe was never a 'wild' animal.

To the contrary, the zoo gorillas are not considered domesticated by anyone. Raised in captivity and domesticated are two different things, just like big cats that are though tame until they shred their trainers. He was most certainly a wild animal, in captivity, which is what wild distinguishes.

 

[Telstra]

I wonder what was the daily food for the gorillas?
If it is mostly fruit and vegetables, there is no reason why the gorilla would kill the child.

 

[eddielee]

The boy was in danger, therefore they had no choice but to kill the gorilla. I am irritated that PETA members seemed to go bat shit crazy because the gorilla had to be killed. To me it implied that PETA members would have been more satisfied if the Gorrila had lived and the child was killed. Another issue, in a zoo you have to keep a close watch on your child. A little boy can get through almost any barrier, so keep him in sight. Anyway, the zoo did the right thing and I'm sure they will review new safety measures to prevent such a tragedy in the future.

 

[zoltanspawn]

The boy was in danger, therefore they had no choice but to kill the gorilla. I am irritated that PETA members seemed to go bat shit crazy because the gorilla had to be killed. To me it implied that PETA members would have been more satisfied if the Gorrila had lived and the child was killed.

You're not paying attention. The issue that's raised so much ire isn't simply the killing of an animal, but the killing of an endangered animal.

 

[Rickrock]

Should the gorilla have been shot? Since there didn't seem to be any other viable solution, yes.

 

[pat grimshaw]

Eventually, our experience of the natural world will include proper names for all that are left.

Are you saying "Cedric" and "Harambe" are frivolous and disrespectful?

 

[Kahaih]

A little about Harambe's early life:

http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/local/article_d4423c72-26db-11e6-a5e6-5b3ee483b420.html

. . .
Stones has been in the zoo business for about 50 years and has worked with Harambe’s family since they first entered the U.S., starting with the grandparents.

“The grandparents were 4, maybe 4 1/2 or 5. I’ve seen all the babies be born, and I’ve raised Harambe from the day he was born,” Stones said.
. . .

3rd generation American? How about that?



http://www.wcnc.com/news/nation-now/harambes-caretaker-he-was-like-one-of-my-sons/225662839

. . .
“He was like one of my sons. He was beautiful and a true character — so mischievous and not aggressive. He would throw water on the female keepers before running back and hiding in the back of his exhibit like, ‘Ha, ha, I got you.’ He would take a keeper’s blanket and just run off. Very fun loving and so intelligent,” said the 74-year-old Stones.

. . .

“I could go in the cage with him and he would not attack me, but he might accidently kill me just by playing,” said Stones.

. . .

In another article I read, Jerry Stones talks about taking infant Harambe home with him after work so he'd be able to change diapers and feed Harambe through the night.

 

[kallipolis]

This article references an earlier incident when a gorilla provided a child with security, returning the child to zoo staff:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...s-ago-he-was-saved-by-a-gorilla-a7060851.html

I quote:

In summer 1996, a rambunctious 3-year-old boy slipped away from his mother and squeezed through a barrier at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois, plummeting more than 15 feet into a pit holding several gorillas. One of them scooped up the toddler, cradled him, carried him to paramedics -- and gained international fame.

WGN-TV posted the footage of the moment Binti Jua, a rare western lowland gorilla who was then 8 years old, picked up the boy after he fell to the concrete floor. Witnesses said Binti Jua mothered him for several minutes while toting her own 17-month-old baby on her back, according to WGN-TV.

"She picked up the boy, kind of cradling him, and walked him around," zoo spokeswoman Sondra Katzen told the Chicago Tribune back in 1996

.

 

[Telstra]

This article references an earlier incident when a gorilla provided a child with security, returning the child to zoo staff:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...s-ago-he-was-saved-by-a-gorilla-a7060851.html

I quote:

.

oh yea i saw that footage somewhere.
The zoo should have known about that story gorilla saving the boy.

 

[MakeDigitalLove]

Whether you believe it or not, it was the only option. The fact that the boy was alive for as long as he was enabled the animal handlers to take the shot. Whether the gorilla would have protected him, hurt him, handed him over, was impossible to determine, and as such, was a risk the zoo could not accept. And it wasn't just litigation. They boy was alive, and there was a chance of saving him. The endangered status of the species was never the question. Any time wild animals are kept in containment, there is a risk of having to put one down for a number of reasons. Threat to human lives is not the least of them.

The problem with "the risk of having to put one down" is the fact that shouldn't even be a thing in a first place, especially with an endangered species who was specifically taken out of its natural habitat to protect it. We killed an animal for the risk of it being an animal.

If Zoos have a risk of needing putting animals down, then maybe we shouldn't let people see these animals in the first place since we have proven time and time again we are too irresponsible to even handle lookin at animals in captivity. Eliminate that part of the risk if we are even going to attempt to to help these animals.

 

[NotHardUp1]

The Cincinnati Zoo has more live births of Lowland Gorillas than any other breeding program in the U.S.

The species is approximately 200,000 strong in the wild, a number that doubled from about 125,000 in 2008 after a population previously underestimated in a remote area of the Congo was recognized.

That the animal was taken for the safety of the child is regrettable, but it was not wrong. The zoo is a major player in restoring the gorillas, both in its breeding and in its fundraising efforts for the same. To be accurate, the gorillas have been added to by the efforts of the zoo, which now count one less addition due to this tragedy. But let's be clear, it is a loss from a plus, not a loss from a minus.

To the point about the other gorilla returning the injured child, I saw that footage back when it happened. It was remarkable, and inspiring, but it isn't any kind of proof that this animal would do the same. They are individuals, and in this situation, the gorilla was obviously acting agitated and had already handled the boy in ways that could have killed him due to the roughness. In addition, the woman filming it specifically observed the agitation escalating. And, as others have noted, animal behaviorists also believe the outcome was unclear.

Even with the sadness of the current event, the zoo most certainly should continue public access to the animals in the role of education and awareness, as its benefits, both ways, over the years has been a major factor in the work they do in breeding gorillas.

Although the anecdote about the infant gorilla having his diaper changed is poignant, it is entirely irrelevant to the decision to kill the animal during this dangerous and escalating encounter with the child. For those championing animal life over the individual child's, it is an ethical and moral choice, but simply one that most adult humans are unwilling to make, be it their own child or another's. And it isn't irrational fear either -- the imminent threat was visible to any onlooker.

 

[sixthson]

Jane Goodall, the primate expert, said it appeared the gorilla was putting an arm around the child but she was very sympathetic toward the zoo director who had to make the very difficult decision. She understands what a predicament he was in.
However, human can't always predict what other humans will do in a given situation, how can we predict what an animal will do?

I wonder if the gorilla had killed the little boy if the zoo would have put him down anyway?

 

[MakeDigitalLove]

Unfortunately I think they would. Because the animal would be deemed "dangerous" and because of human nature and all that.

 

[lambdaboy]

First off the Zoo apparently did not have good enough barriers they should be sued. Second I think I would have tried a tranquilizer shot first with another ready to shoot to kill!