4yo falls into Cincy zoo gorilla enclosure - gorilla shot

[hoosierdoc]

Gorilla killed after 4-year-old falls into zoo enclosure

it it took the DART (dangerous animal response team) 10 minutes to determine this was a potentially life-threatening situation???

scary moment for this kid and his family, and all those who witnessed it. Sounds like a single shot took the gorilla down.

 

[renauldo]

So where were the kids parents or guardians when he "fell" in? They should have tried darting the Gorilla. I hope the adults in charge of the kid get a bill for a 16 yr old Lowland Gorilla.

 

[MuttX7]

So where were the kids parents or guardians when he "fell" in? They should have tried darting the Gorilla. I hope the adults in charge of the kid get a bill for a 16 yr old Lowland Gorilla.

Tranquilizers do not put down an animal instantly and they were afraid shooting the gorilla with a dart would agitate it more, putting the kid more at risk.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Tranquilizers do not put down an animal instantly and they were afraid shooting the gorilla with a dart would agitate it more, putting the kid more at risk.

Right, and if said gorilla was in "protect kid" mode, when they went to get the kid out from between said gorilla's legs, it might have been an ugly thing. The gorilla could probably rip the kid apart in a few seconds.

When you put gorillas in open structures and surround them with humans, stuff like this is bound to happen.

Maybe the parents weren't paying attention, maybe the kid vanished instantly like they do at times. Kids are unpredictable.

 

[Woobie]

I wonder what they used. Great shot, but this sucks all the way around.

 

[actaeon277]

Many commenters criticized the parents of the boy for not watching him more closely. A Facebook group called Justice for Harambe was created and gathered more than 100 "likes" in less than two hours.
"This page was created to raise awareness of Harambe's murder on 5/28/16," the page states. "We wish to see charges brought against those responsible!"


Those responsible?
Who?
The designers of the habitat?
The DART team?
The parents?
The child?

 

[Bennettjh]

I wonder what they used. Great shot, but this sucks all the way around.

Wondered that too.

 

[PaulF]

This is a real shame.

First, a child was needlessly hurt, and secondly, an endangered silverback gorilla needlessly killed...all because of outdated enclosure design.

Gorilla World opened at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens in the mid-1970's (I don't remember exactly when, I was a kid). The facility was state-of-the-art...for the time. The predominant thinking at zoos and wildlife parks was to create a "cageless" experience for guests. This is why you see so many zoo exhibits from the 1970's setup in this way, with the guests looking down into "Pit Biome" type of enclosure from above. It seemed pretty fool-proof at the time: People could see the whole enclosure from just about the whole perimeter, the animals would not be able to scale the sheer concrete walls lining the enclosure, and designers thought that a 15-foot drop into a pit filled with dangerous animals would be all the deterrent people should need to keepp them safely out...

Several high-profile incidents at enclosures of this type in the 1980's (and into the 1990's) let to a change in thinking.

The Indianapolis Zoo is a good example of this newer design philosophy. While attempting to appear like a cageless environment, that appearance is largely an illusion. The Indianapolis Zoo takes liberal use of moats, piano wire, acrylic windows, and elevated pathways to afford multiple layers of separation between the guests and the collection...especially the more dangerous parts of it.

I would be willing to bet the Cincinnati Zoo had already been discussing upgrading the Gorilla exhibit before this incident...now it seems certain that they will have to change the viewing area.

I hope the little boy turns out OK.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Right, and if said gorilla was in "protect kid" mode, when they went to get the kid out from between said gorilla's legs, it might have been an ugly thing. The gorilla could probably rip the kid apart in a few seconds.

When you put gorillas in open structures and surround them with humans, stuff like this is bound to happen.

Maybe the parents weren't paying attention, maybe the kid vanished instantly like they do at times. Kids are unpredictable.

I was in a FB discussion with several locals that are intimately familiar with this exhibit. They assured everyone this wasnt a simple "turn your back for 30 seconds" incident. It takes a LOT of effort for a kid that size to navigate the barricade.

I also had to fight the derp of tranquilzing vs killing, and whether we should even have zoos in the first place. The stupid it burned. LOTS of ignorant liberal ideologues.

 

[Dead Duck]

I would have thrown that mother down there as a distraction to get the kid out. No, really.



I Hate Zoos! Let's put animals at risk for Greed.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I would have thrown that mother down there as a distraction to get the kid out. No, really.



I Hate Zoos! Let's put animals at risk for Greed.

There is a LOT of conservancy and good that comes from zoos. While I dont think going out and darting animals to populate zoos is a good idea, rescuing orphans that would die otherwise is OK. There are animals now that are virtually extinct in the wild yet are growing in numbers in captivity.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Was the maze of enclosure something you could see into to verify the kid was not there, or once he took three steps was he hidden and free to roam while parents searched other places? Sucks all around.

 

[Dead Duck]

There is a LOT of conservancy and good that comes from zoos. While I dont think going out and darting animals to populate zoos is a good idea, rescuing orphans that would die otherwise is OK. There are animals now that are virtually extinct in the wild yet are growing in numbers in captivity.

Yep-
Those are called Wild Animal Rescue Habitats, Rehabilitation Centers, Sanctuaries, etc... On the west coast I volunteered and pushed my students to get involved and familiarize themselves with them so they would know who to call when finding an injured or sick or abused animal.
Most specialized for specific types of critters. Wolves, Ravens, Wildcats, Sea Life, etc... We were always on call when the word got out to help.

But to go out and wrangle up or breed animals just to display for profit isn't helping. Dolphins? Anyone?

Are some zoos helping the planet? I'd like to hope so and they all say they are but I haven't seen it in the past.

 

[hoosierdoc]

do zoos make profits? Seem like they are publically funded or survive thanks to charitable donations.

 

[CHCRandy]

do zoos make profits? Seem like they are publically funded or survive thanks to charitable donations.

The cost to go I would hope they make a profit.........I imagine they invest all the profit back in it, minus some large wages. It's expensive to go anymore. Just as well to buy a membership and hope you go more than once a year.

 

[hoosierdoc]

we buy the membership with the +2 so we can bring cousins and grandparents. If you go to the Indy Zoo the tree just south of the orangutan exhibit next to the carousel was donated in memory of our daughter.

 

[CHCRandy]

we buy the membership with the +2 so we can bring cousins and grandparents. If you go to the Indy Zoo the tree just south of the orangutan exhibit next to the carousel was donated in memory of our daughter.

Doc, That is really cool. I will have to look for that the next time. That is the same membership I get for our daughter and her family...then they can take the wife and I or there friends or whatever. At least I feel like we get our moneys worth that way.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Did they try dressing like a giant banana and luring it away? It's like people don't even watch cartoons any more.

 

[Frosty]

we buy the membership with the +2 so we can bring cousins and grandparents. If you go to the Indy Zoo the tree just south of the orangutan exhibit next to the carousel was donated in memory of our daughter.

I'll be looking for it next time we go doc. We have started going once a year, taking our son on his B'day. The first birthday he wasn't overly impressed, but man he had a ball on his second and I'm hoping the third will be even more enjoyable.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I'll be looking for it next time we go doc. We have started going once a year, taking our son on his B'day. The first birthday he wasn't overly impressed, but man he had a ball on his second and I'm hoping the third will be even more enjoyable.

The memberships at the indy zoo are reasonably priced. The break even point for a membership is two visits a year, FYI. So if you do zoo boo and christmas at the zoo, if you have a membership, every other visit is free. And you get sneak peeks for new attractions and its nice. We got early access to the orangutan habitat and it was awesome; We werent fighting for space to see them.