The Cincinnati Zoo chief says that a boy who fell into a gorilla enclosure "was in danger," forcing the shooting of the ape. Animal rights activists have denounced Saturday's decision to kill the 17-year-old male.
Image: Reuters/W. Philpott
Advertisement
"Politicians and pundits point fingers. We live in the real world and make real decisions," Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Ohio, told a news conference on Monday.
Following the public criticism of the decision to kill the gorilla, Maynard said his team "did not take the shooting of Harambe lightly, but that boy was in danger."
On Saturday, a 4-year-old boy was able to climb over a 3-foot (roughly 1-meter) barrier, then walk through bushes before plunging some 15 feet into the gorilla enclosure.
The boy was stuck in the enclosure for about 10 minutes before zookeepers shot the gorilla dead after it had grabbed him and prevented him from crawling away.
Harambe the gorilla was shot dead on SaturdayImage: Reuters/Cincinnati Zoo
"He [the boy] was being dragged around. His head was banging on concrete," Maynard told reporters.
The Zoo said tranquilizers would have taken several minutes to subdue the 180 kilogram gorilla. Officials pointed out that the animal might have responded violently to being shot by a tranquilizer dart, further endangering the child.
'Safety prioritized'
Defending accusations that the Zoo had insufficient safety barriers in place, Maynard said the enclosure met standards set by US regulators.
"The barriers are safe. The barriers exceed any required protocols," Maynard said, adding that whatever lengths they go to, some people can get past them.
Saturday's shooting prompted a social media campaign against the zoo and the child's parents, with more than 200,000 people signing online petitions to protest the incident.
Animal lovers say the shooting could have been avoidedImage: Reuters/W. Philpott
Around 20 people gathered outside the zoo on Monday, lighting candles and holding "Rest in Peace" signs.
Many social media commentators criticized the boy's parents and said they should be held accountable. Although the boy has not been named, his mother, Michelle Gregg, identified herself on Facebook, and asked others not to judge her because "accidents happen." Her son has been treated in hospital for minor injuries.
A Cincinnati police spokesman said no charges were being considered.
Harambe, a 17-year-old male lowland gorilla, had been in Cincinnati for more than two years as part of the zoo's preservation program.
Officials hope to reopen the gorilla enclosure by the weekend.
mm/msh (AP, dpa, Reuters)
Great apes - primates like us
There are seven species of great apes. Can you list them all? Check below - we're happy to help.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P.Knecht
Chimpanzee
All seven species of great apes share the following characteristics: no tail, a large skull with a large brain, a curved spine and an opposable or prehensile thumb. Like the chimpanzee, which is at home in central Africa and known for its often aggressive behavior.
Image: picture alliance/Arco Images GmbH
Bonobo
The Bonobo, or pygmy chimpanzee, is a really peaceable ape. "Make love, not war" is its motto. Bonobos use frequent sex to ease tension in the group; they are also into French kissing and oral sex. Bonobos only live in the Democatic Republic of Congo.
Image: AP
Borneo orangutan
There are two species of orangutans: one lives on the island of Borneo, the other on Sumatra. Both live on trees, have very long arms and hand-like feet that they use for climbing. Bornean orangutans are squat, they are heavier than their cousins on Sumatra, and their fur is darker and longer.
Image: picture-alliance/WILDLIFE
Sumatra orangutan
The Sumatra orangutan's fur is more reddish than that of the Borneo orangutan, the males' cheek pads are less pronounced and often covered in white hair. Sumatra orangutans also spend less time on the ground than their Bornean cousins. Experts suspect the reason to stay aloft may be the Sumatra tiger, which also preys on orangutans.
Image: Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP/Getty Images
Eastern gorilla
Gorillas are subdivided into two subspecies, the Eastern and the Western gorilla. The Eastern gorilla is bigger, its fur is darker, and the species is subdivided even further into the Eastern lowland and the Mountain gorilla (photo).
Image: Rainer Dückerhoff
Western gorilla
The Western gorilla is also subdivided, into the Western lowland (photo) and the profoundly endangered Cross River gorilla. Almost all gorillas in zoos are Western lowland gorillas. In the wild, there are far more Western gorillas than the Eastern species. The former also live in smaller groups.
Image: AP
Human
Is there a great ape missing? Right: We, too are great apes. We humans are more closely related to chimpanzees and bonobos than the chimps are to gorillas. But we're the only great ape species that isn't threatened by extinction.
