Gorilla Shot Dead After Grabbing 4-Year-Old Boy At Cincinnati Zoo
4-year-old boy fell into Cincinnati Zoo's enclosure
MEP: A gorilla was shot dead by Zoo officials after a four year old boy fell into the gorilla exhibit moat at the Cincinnati Zoo’s gorilla enclosure.
The boy had climbed through a barrier at an enclosure housing a 180kg lowland and 17 year old male gorilla named Harambe.
Authorities said the boy, who fell 10ft to 12ft, is expected to recover after being picked up out of the moat and dragged by the gorilla for about 10 minutes. He was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre with serious injuries.
The zoo’s dangerous animal response team decided to shoot rather than tranquilise the gorilla because a tranquiliser would not have taken effect immediately, Zoo director Thane Maynard said.
Two female gorillas also in the enclosure did not approach the boy and were not harmed.
A Cincinnati fire department incident report said that the gorilla “was violently dragging and throwing the child” when they were called.
The child was in between the gorilla’s legs when the gorilla was shot, fire officials said.
Harambe was born in captivity in Texas and moved to Cincinnati in 2014, where it was hoped he could be part of a breeding programme.
