![]() A spokeswoman for the family said Monday they had no plans to comment. ![]() A Cincinnati police spokesman said no charges were being considered. Many social media commenters have criticized the boy's parents and said they should be held accountable. Maynard said the zoo has some of Harambe's sperm saved for research and possible future reproductive use. Harambe was sent to Cincinnati less than two years ago in hopes he would eventually breed with females there. The Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas, where Harambe spent most of his life, said Monday that its staff was deeply saddened by the gorilla's death. "Not everyone shares the same opinion and that's OK. "This is very emotional and people have expressed different feelings," Maynard said by email. Maynard said zoo visitors have been leaving flowers at the exhibit and asking how they could support gorilla conservation. A spokesman for Jane Goodall, the famed primatologist, said she had "a private conversation" with Maynard, who said she expressed her sympathy. Maynard said the zoo had received messages of support and condolences from around the world, including from other zoo directors and gorilla experts. A Facebook page called "Justice for Harambe" was created along with online petitions and another page calling for a June 5 protest at the zoo. In the days since, people have taken to social media to voice their outrage about the killing of a member of an endangered species. "The fact is that a gorilla that just celebrated his birthday has been killed." "People can shout at the parents and people can shout at the zoo," Seta said. He said the gathering wasn't meant to assess blame but rather to honor Harambe, who turned 17 the day before he was shot. She said the boy's mother was with several other young children and told him no.Īnthony Seta, an animal rights activist in Cincinnati, helped organize a vigil Monday just outside the zoo gates. Kim O'Connor, who witnessed the boy's fall, told WLWT-TV that she heard the youngster say he wanted to get in the water with the gorillas. The director said the zoo remains safe for its some 1.6 million annual visitors, but a review is underway for possible improvements. The boy was treated at a hospital and released that same day. Maynard said an investigation indicates the boy climbed over a 3-foot-tall railing, then walked through an area of bushes about 4 feet deep before plunging some 15 feet into the moat. "We stand by our decision," he said Monday, reiterating that using a tranquilizer on the 420-pound gorilla could have further threatened the boy because it wouldn't have taken effect immediately. He said the gorilla could crush a coconut in one hand and there was no doubt that the boy's life was in danger. Video taken by zoo visitors showed the gorilla at times appeared to be protective of the boy but also dragged him through the shallow moat.ĭirector Thane Maynard said the gorilla was agitated and disoriented by the commotion during the 10 minutes after the boy fell. The male western lowland gorilla named Harambe was killed Saturday by a special zoo response team that feared for the boy's safety. CINCINNATI (AP) - The Cincinnati Zoo's director on Monday defended the decision to kill a gorilla to protect a 4-year-old boy who entered its exhibit, noting it's easy to second-guess after the child was recovered safely. ![]()
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