People are Outraged Over the Murder of Harambe After a Child Fell Into His Enclosure
The recent killing of a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo after a 4-year-old boy fell into the enclosure has caused tens of thousands of people around the country to demand the child's parents be punished for the "senseless murder" of an endangered animal.
According to representatives at the Cincinnati Zoo, the boy crawled through the barrier on Saturday, falling 15 feet into the gorilla enclosure's moat, where Harambe, a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla, began "violently dragging and throwing the child." As a result, the Zoo's Dangerous Animal Response Team was forced to shoot and kill the animal in order to safely remove the child.
"We are heartbroken about losing Harambe, but a child's life was in danger and a quick decision had to be made by our Dangerous Animal Response Team," Zoo Director Thane Maynard said in a statement.
As Maynard explains, they did everything in their power to avoid having to kill the gorilla, but unfortunately had no choice. Their first response was to call all of the gorillas out of the exhibit, but while the other gorillas complied, Harambe had stayed where he was. Maynard also went on to explain that tranquilizing the gorilla wasn't an option, because due to the animal's size - 450 pounds - the tranquilizer would not take effect for "several minutes," and the impact of the dart itself might have agitated Harambe, causing more danger to the child.
"This beautiful gorilla has paid the price for the parent's stupidity," Facebook user Sue Clark commented on the Zoo's statement. "If you can't control your kids in public, then keep them at home! Teach them that wild animals can be dangerous and they should only be looked at and not played with. I'm glad the child will recover, but the parents need to be made to pay for their poor parenting skills and lack of control over the child."
And Clark isn't alone in her sentiments: Along with thousands of other commenters echoing her outrage, a Facebook page called "Justice for Harambe" has been created in order to "see charges brought against those responsible." Less than a day after it was made, it already has over 60,000 likes.
Meanwhile, the child has been released from the Children's Hospital Medical Center after being treated for a concussion and other mild injuries on Saturday night. His mother released a statement on Sunday, saying that he is doing "just fine."
"We extend our heartfelt thanks for the quick action by the Cincinnati Zoo staff," her statement read. "We know that this was a very difficult decision for them, and that they are grieving the loss of their gorilla."
This is the first time since Gorilla World opened at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1978 that there has been a breach, but due to this incident, the zoo will work towards seeing how they can further ensure the safety of both visitors and the animals.
"We're touched by the outpouring of support from the community and our members who loved Harambe," Maynard said. "The Zoo family is going through a painful time, and we appreciate your understanding and know that you care about our animals and the people who care for them."
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