The Child, The Gorilla and The Zoo ....

[Mk2Jo]

I just read this, written by a former Gorilla keeper at another zoo. I'm in no position to judge - I like many others have lost sight momentarily of my kids when they were younger - I have no idea if the zoo security was inadequate - but I do know how I would feel if that was my child being dragged around like a ragdoll in that water (as per the viral video clip) and I agree with everything this doris Amanda Donohoe says:

 

"I am going to try to clear up a few things that have been weighing on me about Harambe and the Cinci Zoo since I read the news this afternoon.

I have worked with Gorillas as a zookeeper while in my twenties (before children) and they are my favorite animal (out of dozens) that I have ever worked closely with. I am gonna go ahead and list a few facts, thoughts and opinions for those of you that aren't familiar with the species itself, or how a zoo operates in emergency situations.

 

Now Gorillas are considered 'gentle giants' at least when compared with their more aggressive cousins the chimpanzee, but a 400+ pound male in his prime is as strong as roughly 10 adult humans. What can you bench press? OK, now multiply that number by ten. An adult male silverback gorilla has one job, to protect his group. He does this by bluffing or intimidating anything that he feels threatened by.

 

Gorillas are considered a Class 1 mammal, the most dangerous class of mammals in the animal kingdom, again, merely due to their size and strength. They are grouped in with other apes, tigers, lions, bears, etc.

While working in an AZA accredited zoo with Apes, keepers DO NOT work in contact with them. Meaning they do NOT go in with these animals. There is always a welded mesh barrier between the animal and the humans.

In more recent decades, zoos have begun to redesign enclosures, removing all obvious caging and attempting to create a seamless view of the animals for the visitor to enjoy watching animals in a more natural looking habitat. *this is great until little children begin falling into exhibits* which of course can happen to anyone, especially in a crowded zoo-like setting.

 

I have watched this video over again, and with the silverback's postering, and tight lips, it's pretty much the stuff of any keeper's nightmares, and I have had MANY while working with them. This job is not for the complacent. Gorillas are kind, curious, and sometimes silly, but they are also very large, very strong animals. I always brought my OCD to work with me. checking and rechecking locks to make sure my animals and I remained separated before entering to clean.

 

I keep hearing that the Gorilla was trying to protect the boy. I do not find this to be true. Harambe reaches for the boys hands and arms, but only to position the child better for his own displaying purposes.

Males do very elaborate displays when highly agitated, slamming and dragging things about. Typically they would drag large branches, barrels and heavy weighted balls around to make as much noise as possible. Not in an effort to hurt anyone or anything (usually) but just to intimidate. It was clear to me that he was reacting to the screams coming from the gathering crowd.

 

Harambe was most likely not going to separate himself from that child without seriously hurting him first (again due to mere size and strength, not malicious intent) Why didn't they use treats? well, they attempted to call them off exhibit (which animals hate), the females in the group came in, but Harambe did not. What better treat for a captive animal than a real live kid!

They didn't use Tranquilizers for a few reasons, A. Harambe would've taken too long to become immobilized, and could have really injured the child in the process as the drugs used may not work quickly enough depending on the stress of the situation and the dose B. Harambe would've have drowned in the moat if immobilized in the water, and possibly fallen on the boy trapping him and drowning him as well.

Many zoos have the protocol to call on their expertly trained dart team in the event of an animal escape or in the event that a human is trapped with a dangerous animal. They will evaluate the scene as quickly and as safely as possible, and will make the most informed decision as how they will handle the animal.

I can't point fingers at anyone in this situation, but we need to really evaluate the safety of the animal enclosures from the visitor side. Not impeding that view is a tough one, but there should be no way that someone can find themselves inside of an animal's exhibit.

I know one thing for sure, those keepers lost a beautiful, and I mean gorgeous silverback and friend. I feel their loss with them this week. As educators and conservators of endangered species, all we can do is shine a light on the beauty and majesty of these animals in hopes to spark a love and a need to keep them from vanishing from our planet. Child killers, they are not. It's unfortunate for the conservation of the species, and the loss of revenue a beautiful zoo such as Cinci will lose. tragedy all around."

 

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[Vista]

However unfortunate, the Zoo made the right call. They also need to look seriously at the security of their enclosures.

 

As to the people blaming the parents for not supervising the child properly, before I had children myself I might have agreed. Now however I know just how slippery the little ones can be, you can't physically hold on to them the whole time and it takes but a second of averted eyes for them to run off.

[deltamal]

As owner of an engineering company I have to constantly be looking for any hazards around the factory, tripping, slipping checking machine guards etc, and this is for a group of experienced  workers, any new machine or job has to have a risk assessment carried out and documented, with the general public especially children it should not be possible to get into the compound, something lacking at the zoo! HSE would be all over it in this country!

[mike399]

My thought on it is.

4yr olds are not indangered species . So shoot the toddler

 

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[eeb43]

My thought on it is.

4yr olds are not indangered species . So shoot the toddler

 

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shoot the parents they should be looking after a 4 year old if they couldnt control him then he should have been on a lead

[mike399]

Ooh didn't think of that. They should be

Held responsible for the sad killing of this majestic beast

 

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[JP.]

At this moment, we as mamels, act as we are the top species of all living species on earth. Killing every species that gets in our way, including our own species....

 

I read this issue yesterday morning in the Daily Mirror ( hey I am Dutch and want a paper at my breakfast...) and I personaly had my concerns after reading the matter.

After reading thw sequence this morning my concerns feld true.

 

My 50cents....

1* that child should not have fall....

2* that monkey should not have been shot with lead as experiance with this monkey species have learned that there was a very big change tge child woyld have been unharmed.

[mk2 mike]

My initial thoughts were shoot the child.

 

My second thoughts were Having seen the footage of the gorilla dragging the child I accept they had no option but to shoot it. [emoji20]

 

I don't accept though the 'he was gone for a second' line. I saw a report which said it would have taken 6-8 minutes for the child to climb two fences and drop into the enclosure.

 

My third and final thoughts are they should shoot the parents. I'm glad they're looking at prosecuting for child neglect. Their lack of attention contributed to putting the child in significant danger.

 

 

 

 

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[Mk2Jo]

My initial thoughts were shoot the child.

 

My second thoughts were Having seen the footage of the gorilla dragging the child I accept they had no option but to shoot it. [emoji20]

 

I don't accept though the 'he was gone for a second' line. I saw a report which said it would have taken 6-8 minutes for the child to climb two fences and drop into the enclosure.

 

My third and final thoughts are they should shoot the parents. I'm glad they're looking at prosecuting for child neglect. Their lack of attention contributed to putting the child in significant danger.

 

 

 

 

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Any views on how a small child got into the enclosure?

 

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[Vista]

Any views on how a small child got into the enclosure?

 

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Indeed. You go to a Zoo, a place where wild and dangerous animals are kept (hopefully in good condition and with good standards of living) so that you may see and learn about them safely. The onus of making sure it's safe falls squarely on the shoulders of the management of the establishment. If a small child can get into an enclosure unaided, then forget the smokescreen of bad parenting even if it is true, something has gone seriously wrong with that zoo's safety management.

 

If you go to a hotel and the child falls off a fourth floor balcony because the barriers are inadequate, is it the child's fault, your fault or the Hotel's fault? The latter every time for me.

[Mk2Jo]

Indeed. You go to a Zoo, a place where wild and dangerous animals are kept (hopefully in good condition and with good standards of living) so that you may see and learn about them safely. The onus of making sure it's safe falls squarely on the shoulders of the management of the establishment. If a small child can get into an enclosure unaided, then forget the smokescreen of bad parenting even if it is true, something has gone seriously wrong with that zoo's safety management.

 

If you go to a hotel and the child falls off a fourth floor balcony because the barriers are inadequate, is it the child's fault, your fault or the Hotel's fault? The latter every time for me.

Agreed .... we had a claim at work last year .... a lad who had been trained, cut the very tip of a finger off because he stuck his finger in the cutting blade of a cutting machine, bypassing the guard and not waiting for the final chop ..... he got £7k and we got a visit from HSE .... he admitted he shouldn't have stuck his finger in and it was only some skin that healed in weeks .... the insurance assessor said you have to make the guard longer and treat everyone as an idiot! The moral of the story is: take every possible precaution to prevent an incident and more!

 

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[mk2 mike]

Any views on how a small child got into the enclosure?

 

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Apparently he climbed two fences. Like I said he wasn't out of he parents sight for 'just a second'.

 

 

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[Vista]

Apparently he climbed two fences. Like I said he wasn't out of he parents sight for 'just a second'.

 

 

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The boy is 4 Mike, how many four year olds have you seen who, unaided mind, can climb the kind of fences that a wild animal enclosure should have?

[mk2 mike]

 

 

Are you suggesting he was thrown over then? Teleported? Smuggled in dressed as a banana? [emoji23]

 

Think the keyword there is'should' have.

 

Edit: after watching CNN just now it turns out he may have got through a mesh barrier then about 4 feet of hedge before falling down into the pit.

 

Would still like to know what the parents were doing during this...

 

As I said I see no other option than the end result, but it could have been avoided.

 

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[Vista]

No, I am saying that the barriers put in place by the Zoo weren't fit for purpose. And clearly from your latest reply, I am right. Yes parents have a parental care responsibility but so too does the Zoo, and their liability is far greater.

[D-FENS]

I read an article about the parents and the dad has form for burglary,kidnap and weapons offences. What a pair of toss pots they seem to be . Think it was in the Metro newspaper last week .

[garyv6100e]

And no doubt they will inline for a large damages pay out from the zoo.