Crime in Cincinnati

[Airspeed]

I guess you've seen the video of the gorilla, helping a wayward toddler out of the water.
The reaction of the zoo? Shoot the gorilla.

Yes, I've read the later bits of news, and still disagree with their action.

[Vancouver]

This is why I like Aussies. Tell it like it is. No fear of plain speaking. Nae messin' as my wife would say.
I saw the one today of the woman in Queensland eaten by a croc. Local MP straight out to blame human stupidity.
Here it would be the inevitable weak mealy mouthed excuses made.

[Tomliner]

I agree Mike.What a tragedy! I wonder if fear of litigation was behind the zoo's action( bloody lawyers) . Also perhaps parental supervision ,or lack of it, played a part.If so, I suppose shooting the parents is out of the question? EricT

[nigelb]

A tragic event for sure. The zoo claims they could not use a tranquilizer gun because it would not act fast enough and also could make the gorilla more aggressive while it took effect . The mother may be to blame but I say "may'" because anyone that has watched a 3 year old knows they can be off in a split second. She could be holding his hand and let go to reach for a tissue in her handbag and poof! he is off. Finally was the barrier of sufficient height? 3 feet is not enough to stop a determined child so maybe the zoo needs to review their barriers because in this particular case it certainly was not effective.. No matter, it is certainly an untimely end to the life of a magnificent animal.

Nigel²

[Paul K]

And if the gorilla had injured the child while there was someone nearby with a rifle who could have prevented it ? Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[Chris Trott]

BTW, they've released the full video of the event which clearly shows the gorilla was aggressive and drug the child by an ankle across most of the moat of the enclosure prior to zookeepers shooting him. Once again, clever editing creates a massive outcry instead of telling the whole story and placing the blame where it properly belongs - the parents.