There is still a lot of buzz going around about Harambe the gorilla, which leads to the spread of uneducated opinions as well. In case you haven’t heard, Harambe was a mountain gorilla who lived at the Cincinnati Zoo. On May 28, a young boy climbed into Harambe’s exhibit and after being dragged through the water for some time, and the zoo staff made the decision to shoot the gorilla.
I know I'm a bit late to the discussion, but I'm here to debunk some of the ridiculous arguments I’ve been hearing in regards to the situation.
“The zoo should’ve had better barriers.”
This one tops the list of the worst argument. The boy climbed over a three-foot fence, through bushes, and fell into a 15-foot moat. Let me say it again, there was a 15-foot moat between the public and the animals. Do you have a local zoo in your area? Count the number of exhibits where moats are used to enclose animals. It's very effective. The animals are afraid of the drop as are humans. However, in this situation the boy fell and Harambe surprisingly went into the pit as well. Zoos also strive to use the most natural types of barriers between humans and animals in attempt to mimic what it would be like to view the animal in a wild setting. This was not poor planning by the zoo, this was a freak accident.
“Harambe wasn’t trying to hurt the boy..”
Adult male mountain gorillas weigh 450 pounds on average. They're the second largest primate species (behind western lowland gorillas). This animal is at least six times stronger than a male adult human. Not to mention the noise and roar of the nervous crowd was likely adding even more stress to Harambe. As a person that studies animal behavior, do I think the gorilla's behavior was threatening? No. Do I think there was a threat to the little boy's life and some action had to be taken? Absolutely.
“It’s the boy’s parent’s fault."
The boy climbed a railing, over four feet of dense bushes, and then fell into a 15-foot moat. How did no one see this happening? Would the child have been able to accomplish this if his parents had actually only taken their eyes off of him for a moment? This troubles me. The boy is 3 years old and needs constant supervision as any 3-year-old does. However, children are unpredictable. I think about the number of times I ran away from my mother in the department store and hid in the clothing racks. When a child is determined, the child will find a way to run.
“The zoo should’ve tried darting him first.”
Not only would being stabbed with a sharp dart agitate Harambe, but the serum would've taken minutes to actually take him down. He would've been agitated and likely very stressed, making it even more likely for him to harm the boy in his grasp.
“Well, gorillas shouldn’t be in captivity anyway."
This argument is hard. Captivity as a topic in general is hard for any animal lover. Do I personally believe that nonhuman primates should be in captivity? No, but I understand why they are. This decision can only be made once you're well educated with both sides of the argument. Only then can you form a logical opinion free from emotion, and I encourage you all to do so.
When a tragedy occurs, everyone always wants to place blame. Someone has to be held responsible. But the fact remains that a critically endangered animal was killed and we cannot get him back. I think we all need to take a step back realize that.
I send my deepest condolences to the staff at the Cincinnati Zoo.
In loving memory of Harambe the gorilla.
