Recently, news has circulated about a four-year old child who managed to climb into a gorilla's enclosure in the Cincinnati Zoo. The zookeepers, in a plight to save the child, shot and killed the gorilla. The public is left with many unanswered questions, and animal rights activists have been infuriated by this incident--an incident that has sparked numerous debates about the child's mother, the gorilla himself, and the zoo's solution to this troubling problem. Unfortunately, there are no clear right or wrong responses to these questions, so we much consider a series of perspectives when discussing this terrible event.
The Mother:
We must put ourselves in the shoes of the mother of the four-year-old boy who was in the gorilla's quarters for a period of time. Many people are saying the mother should be prosecuted or "shot," under the idea that she is responsible for the death of this endangered gorilla. When we take a step back and consider the circumstances, this mother brought her small child to the zoo that day for a fun experience, and never even imagined that her child would end up in the hands of a deadly animal. Absolutely no parent wants to see his or her child in that scenario, possibly moments from death, and unable to help their kid. Any decent mother would do whatever it takes to save her child. Small kids can easily get into spaces, and perhaps this mother wasn't paying perfect attention to her child for just a few moments. Nonetheless, that's no reason to wish death or prosecution on her. Consider what could have happened if the child had been left in the gorilla habitat--he could have been shredded to pieces by the 400-pound animal, which the mother would have surely witnessed.
The Gorilla:
Harambe has become a household name in just a few days during the coverage of this tragic incident. When the child was inside the gorilla enclosure, zookeepers called the gorillas out of the area. Harambe, however, did not go when called. According to Amanda O'Donoughue, a former zookeeper with extensive experience caring for silverback gorillas, Harambe was unlikely to give the child to zookeepers peacefully. The 17-year old male gorilla was threatened by the screams and panic of the crowd, and while it may appear in footage that Harambe was helping the child stand up, O'Donoughue posits that this action was meant to establish dominance. Additionally, Harambe's violent pulling of the child through the water was meant to "show off" his own strength and power. There's no telling what Harambe's true intentions were, but he could have effortlessly killed the small child.
The Zookeepers:
Zoos have precautionary training and measures in place for many situations, but it is unclear if the zookeepers involved in this incident were genuinely prepared to handle the situation. It must be understood, however, that nobody wanted Harambe to be shot dead. Zookeepers typically have a passion for these creatures, and often form personal relationships with them. In the panic and chaos, perhaps a zoo official made the wrong call to kill the animal rather than to just tranquilize him. Apparently, authorities felt that the tranquilizers may have taken too long to work, or that the child could have been trapped under the gorilla's body. If they had the opportunity to do things differently, they most assuredly would.
While law enforcement is currently investigating the events and actions of those involved, we should remember that animals aren't really meant to be kept in captivity anyways. Harambe's death, while very tragic and somewhat unwarranted, at least shines a light on the issues in zoos across the nation and raises the standard for safety measures in animal exhibitions like this one.
