There was major controversy on Saturday when a gorilla was shot dead at Cincinatti Zoo after a four-year-old boy slipped into the enclosure.
People were outraged that his mum wasn’t keeping a close enough eye on him, and that the gorilla ended up losing his life because of it. The boy was safe, and there is debate over whether the gorilla even posed a real threat. The mother, Michelle Gregg, has since defended herself in a long Facebook post (that has since been deleted).
She explained why she thought the zoo’s actions were justified:
“God protected my child until the authorities were able to get to him. My son is safe and was able to walk away with a concussion and a few scrapes… no broken bones or internal injuries.
“As a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off of their child and if anyone knows me I keep a tight watch on my kids. Accidents happen…”
Cincinatti Zoo has also released a statement about their actions.
“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.”
While many have criticised them for not tranquilising the gorilla instead of shooting him, the zoo has responded with why they made this decision.
“Tranquilizers do not take effect for several minutes and the child was in imminent danger. On top of that, the impact from the dart could agitate the animal and cause the situation to get much worse.”
The debate rages on.
