US Zoo Defends Shooting Harambe That Grabbed The Boy
On Monday, May 30, 2016, Thane Maynard, director of Ohio Zoo defended the ki||ling of a critically endangered silverback gorilla as 17-year-old Harambe dragged a young boy who fell into its habitat in a terrifying incident on Sunday as it was captured on video.
Harambe, a male western lowland silverback gorilla was shot after a four-year-old kid crawled through a barrier and fell 15 feet into the Cincinnati Zoo Habitat.
As can be seen on the video, the gorilla is yanking the boy through a water while onlookers scream.
At one point, Harambe appears to be protecting the child before pulling him out of the view.
Officials of the Cincinnati said that they were mourning and heartbroken over the incident that happened to Harambe, but had to make a critical choice on rescuing the boy.
“We did not take the shooting lightly. But that child’s life was in danger and people who question that, or are Monday morning quarterbacks or second guessers, don’t understand that you can’t take a risk with a silverback gorilla,” zoo director Maynard told reporters.
Maynard also added that Harambe was 6 times stronger than a normal man.
“This is an animal (that) with one hand, I have seen take a coconut and crush it,” he said.
In a report by CNN, according to Maynard, tranquilizers may not have taken effect in time to save the boy while the dart has agitated the animal, worsening the situation.
And as the incident gets, even more, hotter, critics slammed the zoo and the parent of the child.
“The enclosure should have been surrounded by a secondary barrier to prevent this,” People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote on Twitter.
“This tragedy is exactly why PETA urges families to stay away from any facility that displays animals as sideshows for humans to gawk at.”
The name of the child was not released but his family has already issued a statement to the media offering their “heartfelt thanks” to the zoo.
“We know that this was a very difficult decision for them and that they are grieving the loss of their gorilla,” the statement said.
At least 15 petitions had been created by Monday afternoon on the change.org website requesting and demanding justice with regards to the incident.
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