The Cincinnati Zoo was recently forced to kill a rare Gorilla named Harambe, after a 4-year-old boy fell into the gorilla enclosure. This is the first time the Zoo has been forced to make such a tough decision.
A video of the incident has drawn widespread attention, as it displays the Gorilla dragging the little boy like a rag doll through the water.
According to Authorities, the boy climbed through a barrier and fell 10 to 12 feet into the gorilla exhibit moat, where he was dragged by the gorilla for about 10 minutes.
After the gorilla was shot, Zoo employees opened the gate to the enclosure and the child was retrieved by Firefighters.
In a statement on Facebook, Zoo Director Thane Maynard said
“We are heartbroken about losing Harambe, but a child’s life was in danger and a quick decision had to be made by our Dangerous Animal Response Team.”
The boy was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center near the zoo and was treated for serious injuries that were not considered to be fatal.
The video has prompted an outrage on Social Media whereby the hashtag #JusticeForHarambe was used.
Many people said that Harambe should not have been shot dead, as he did not want to hurt the boy. Others are going as far as saying that the parents should be held responsible for the incident, as they should have been looking after the boy.
The hashtag #JusticeForHarambe was used.
So an endangered animal has been slaughtered because some moron can’t control their kid?! Smh. Zoos are not playgrounds! #justiceforharambe
— Sarah (@AKA_Pricey) May 29, 2016
Even after the terrible mother let her child fall, the Cincinnati Zoo should’ve tranquilized him not killed him wtf #justiceforharambe
— buy dangerous woman (@ArianaGrande845) May 29, 2016
A petition has also been signed by more than 60,000 people who call for the boy’s parents to
“be held accountable for the lack of supervision and negligence that caused Harambe to lose his life“.
The full video can be viewed here: (Warning: Some viewers may find this content disturbing)
Via YouTube/BBC
