Did The Zoo Officials Make The Correct Decision To Kill The Gorilla?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cincinnati-zoo-critics-blame-parents-of-boy-as-anger-mounts-over-shooting-dead-of-gorilla-a7055796.html

Many have said that they didn't, but what was the alternative?

On a radio phone-in this morning, one person was foolish enough to suggest that the parents of the child staged this, so that they could obtain video footage to later sell to the media and put on youtube.

[naomi24]

david small, // I would have tried several sleeping darts first, rifle at the ready. //

As I understand it from what's been said in the media, tranquilisers would not have taken effect instantly. The poor animal could have killed the boy in a split second. As sad as it is the zoo took the only viable action available.

[stuey]

I don't understand why those people on twitter are saying the child is white.

[Svejk]

Cos they're thick race-hustlers, stuey. I presume they presumed only white folks go to zoos.

[stuey]

We live in a strange, strange world, Master Jack.

[mushroom25]

maybe what the zoo should have done is taken the advice of the National Rifle Association and armed the gorilla. a gorilla properly armed under the US consitution wouldn't have been shot, and this thread would only have had a few entries......

[Svejk]

I see they're having an enquiry into this incident. Should be interesting.

[Peter Pedant]

what a strange world we live in - said Alice to the Red Queen

does Schweik have two personalities ? - at times I wonder if there is a second schweik who types in distractors whilst the Real Schweik is brushing his teeth of something - and then very quickly we go back to 'normal service'

at least Mushie's cont is clearly labelled 'ironic'

[andy-hughes]

never one to miss a publicity opportunity - Katie Hopkins has added her opinion to the debate with the following Twitter entry -

//Having seen the state of the parents who let their son in a gorilla pen, #Harambe could have done mankind a favour..if we hadn't shot him.

9:09 AM - 1 Jun 2016 //

It's always useful to have a public commentator add some gravitas and considered opinion to the proceedings.

[aelmpvw]

^ i'm surprised she didn't suggest that they should have shot the parents

[sandyRoe]

Lowland gorillas are an endangered species, children a glut on the market.
Should they have shot the child and claimed they were aiming at the great ape?

[Ellipsis]

^ Or throw them in after the boy - Roald Dahl would love the idea ...

[viv41]

Shouldn't have shot him, should have been tranqualised.

[andy-hughes]

viv41 - //Shouldn't have shot him, should have been tranqualised. //

This was debated earlier on the thread - tranquilising was not an option because it does not have an instant effect on an animal of that size, and the worry was that as it took effect, it may have enraged the gorilla and caused him to harm the child.

Although experts in primate behaviour are saying that the gorilla was protecting the child, and its action in pulling him along the moat was motivated by his distress at all the noise and screaming from the crowd, I still believe that the risk of a sudden change of behaviour was too big a risk to take, and sadly the action taken was the only viable - if very difficult - choice.

[zakajhan]

no choice you cannot risk a childs life

[horselady]

Interesting to see that on the old video clip when the boy fell into Jambo's enclosure, keepers jumped down to get him "armed" with a stick. Wasn't there any way the keepers in America could have controlled the situation?

[mikey4444]

I am surprised that this debate is still going on, and yes, I fully acknowledge that I have played my part in that debate.

The issue for using a tranquilizer dart has been fully explained before, and I am surprised that it has come up again.

[Lynn_M]

Did the boy get into the pen unaided? It seems unlikely, there's already been an instance at a British zoo where the parents lifted their boy onto the enclosure wall, only for him to fall in. The media seem to be hushing this one up