Cincinatti Zoo officials shoot and kill gorilla after child falls into enclosure

[DemPGH]

To tell the truth, seeing that gorilla drag the child through the water and around like a rag doll gives me chills. How's this even a question? Blame the zoo for for having a barrier so shoddy that in seconds a boy that age could breach it if you're going to blame anyone. If the mother could be distracted for a few seconds and her son fall into that pit, then the zoo failed to provide a properly safe enclosure. Gorillas and certainly chimps are not to be messed with. And I can't emphasize, sorry.

Bottlenose dolphins will actually protect human beings, despite being predators themselves; perhaps they see us as mammals similar to themselves - IDK (with their sonar they can see our internal organs, and they are particularly curious about pregnant women). My empathy is acute for them when the Japanese inhumanely hunt them down. . . for food! (Ugh a hundred times over, I'd never eat dolphin meat).

[Illiniwek]

I don't know what to think about the shooting, but massive shame on the idiotic parents and massive shame on the zoo for being negligent.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

As someone who really, really, really dislikes kids, I can see why choosing the life of some unnamed brat over that of one of the beautiful creatures you know and work with each day would be difficult for some.

Maybe I'm a bad person because of it, but hey, we've all got our priorities.

[RINO Tom]

As someone who really, really, really dislikes kids, I can see why choosing the life of some unnamed brat over that of one of the beautiful creatures you know and work with each day would be difficult for some.

Maybe I'm a bad person because of it, but hey, we've all got our priorities.

You must have been such a genius as a 4-year old!!

If your "values" are that you'd literally rather see a little kid die because he's stupid or his parents are morons or because the zoo is negligent or because you wish to make some broader point that we are a "peressitic" species, then yes, you are indeed a piece of shlt.

Now you didn't say that explicitly, so I hope I'm wrong.  No one is cheering the death of this great animal. However, (thankfully) very few are questioning whether saving that child's life was more important than keeping that ape alive and keeping whackjob "animal rights" (in quotes because they're not fighting for animals' rights, which any sane person supports) activists off their backs.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

As someone who really, really, really dislikes kids, I can see why choosing the life of some unnamed brat over that of one of the beautiful creatures you know and work with each day would be difficult for some.

Maybe I'm a bad person because of it, but hey, we've all got our priorities.

You must have been such a genius as a 4-year old!!

If your "values" are that you'd literally rather see a little kid die because he's stupid or his parents are morons or because the zoo is negligent or because you wish to make some broader point that we are a "peressitic" species, then yes, you are indeed a piece of shlt.

A little emotional there, aren't we.

I don't give a damn about the kid.  The parents are idiots for letting a four-year-old go unwatched at a zoo and if anyone deserves blame for the incident, it's them.

Not saying I'd be a much better parent, but I'm not having kids.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Mind you what happens to animals that do kill humans? They get put down. If that kid was dead the gorilla would be dead or soon to be dead as well. You seriously think a zoo would allow a gorilla that killed a four year old to remain in an exhibit?

[dax00]

I'm not one to answer "should" questions. Do I object to the killing of the ape? No. Would I have been outraged if it had been allowed to have its way with the child? No. Do I think endangered species should be treated any differently than any other species due to their "endangered" status? No, nature makes species go extinct for a reason.

[Lincoln Republican]

I would really like to know from those who voted that the ape should not have been shot and killed value the life of an ape above that of a four year old human toddler.

This child is a typical four year old toddler who is curious about things around him.  

As it was the child was being violently dragged at high speed by a dangerous animal in the enclosure with his head banging up and down on the concrete floor.  It was a terrifying scene.  It would not have been much longer before the ape likely would have killed the child, and that is why the zoo officials took actions to kill the ape when they did, before the child was killed by the ape.

For the life of me, I cannot imagine why anyone would value the life of an ape over that of a human four year old toddler.

[RINO Tom]

I would really like to know from those who voted that the ape should not have been shot and killed value the life of an ape above that of a four year old human toddler.

This child is a typical four year old toddler who is curious about things around him.  

As it was the child was being violently dragged at high speed by a dangerous animal in the enclosure with his head banging up and down on the concrete floor.  It was a terrifying scene.  It would not have been much longer before the ape likely would have killed the child, and that is why the zoo officials took actions to kill the ape when they did, before the child was killed by the ape.

For the life of me, I cannot imagine why anyone would value the life of an ape over that of a human four year old toddler.

To make a point, which is sickening.  It's like the people who have taken up (what I believe to be) a good cause like women's reproductive rights, get so into it that they hate the "other side" to the point of tribal nonsense and then support (or at least make excuses for) something extreme like that doctor who literally killed a child that was unsuccessfully aborted.

And when you're on the Internet and anonymous, you don't have to pretend to be a decent person/there's less awkwardness attached to saying something outrageous.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Mind you what happens to animals that do kill humans? They get put down. If that kid was dead the gorilla would be dead or soon to be dead as well. You seriously think a zoo would allow a gorilla that killed a four year old to remain in an exhibit?

I mean, Tilikum the orca has killed three people at Sea World and is still alive and performing (though he is being retired soon).  Sea World in general is pretty terrible, though.

Anyway, here's my whole take on this: The videos only give us part of what happened because the incident was not recorded in its entirety.  The gorilla may have killed the child had the zoo not taken him out, but it's also possible he was trying to protect the child as there is a famous case in which that has happened.  I'm no zoologist, but I don't think that gorillas are inherently violent.  That being said, we kind of have to trust the zoo's judgment on this because they witnessed the whole thing.  It's still a sad situation.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

As someone who really, really, really dislikes kids, I can see why choosing the life of some unnamed brat over that of one of the beautiful creatures you know and work with each day would be difficult for some.

Maybe I'm a bad person because of it, but hey, we've all got our priorities.

Of course it would be difficult. 

It was also the right thing to do. 

If their response of the zoo had been " that kid, the parents are dumbs," and people were largely ok with that, it would signal our culture had gone to a very dark place in terms of respect for human dignity.  This isn't just about whether a human life is more valued than a gorilla, but which people are valued and which aren't.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

As someone who really, really, really dislikes kids, I can see why choosing the life of some unnamed brat over that of one of the beautiful creatures you know and work with each day would be difficult for some.

Maybe I'm a bad person because of it, but hey, we've all got our priorities.

Says the man who wanted to be a pastor.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

As someone who really, really, really dislikes kids, I can see why choosing the life of some unnamed brat over that of one of the beautiful creatures you know and work with each day would be difficult for some.

Maybe I'm a bad person because of it, but hey, we've all got our priorities.

Says the man who wanted to be a pastor.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

As someone who really, really, really dislikes kids, I can see why choosing the life of some unnamed brat over that of one of the beautiful creatures you know and work with each day would be difficult for some.

Maybe I'm a bad person because of it, but hey, we've all got our priorities.

Says the man who wanted to be a pastor.

Yeah, I nixed that decision.

[Joe Republic]

I would really like to know from those who voted that the ape should not have been shot and killed value the life of an ape above that of a four year old human toddler.

This child is a typical four year old toddler who is curious about things around him. 

As it was the child was being violently dragged at high speed by a dangerous animal in the enclosure with his head banging up and down on the concrete floor.  It was a terrifying scene.  It would not have been much longer before the ape likely would have killed the child, and that is why the zoo officials took actions to kill the ape when they did, before the child was killed by the ape.

For the life of me, I cannot imagine why anyone would value the life of an ape over that of a human four year old toddler.

Accidents that kill young children happen all the time.  It's always tragic for the family, obviously.  But nonetheless, accidents they are.

I could elaborate further on why it's for the best that the human population is reduced to within sustainable levels, but I'm sure the pearl clutchers here will screech about our species' superior "value" once again.

[Sbane]

I support the shooting of the Gorilla and I think the parents should be sued because they are responsible for the death of that gorilla.

[dead0man]

More so than the Zoo?  Sometimes even good parents lose track of their kid.

[This account no longer in use.]

How does it feel to know that Newt Gingrich agrees with you guys?

[dead0man]

How does it feel to know that Newt Gingrich agrees with you guys?

which guys?  there are people on all sides here isn't there?  What side is old Newt on?  (not that it matters, it's ok to be on the same side of an argument with someone you don't like, Hitler liked puppies you know )

[Goldwater]

How does it feel to know that Newt Gingrich agrees with you guys?

Guilt by association FTW!

[This account no longer in use.]

I wasn't serious, okay?

Either way, if you want to know, Newt Gingrich sides with the zoo.

[Lincoln Republican]

I wasn't serious, okay?

Either way, if you want to know, Newt Gingrich sides with the zoo.

Then Newt is a very smart man.

[dead0man]

I wouldn't go that far

The real villains in this story are the assholes blaming the parents.  I'd bet 80% of them are not parents.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I wouldn't go that far

The real villains in this story are the assholes blaming the parents.  I'd bet 80% of them are not parents.

^ true that. People are so quick to blame parents when tragic accidents happen to everybody (like the classic horrible story of the child accidentally locked in a hot car). I think a lot of them are people who aren't parents and don't understand children, but I imagine a good proportion are parents as well, desperately trying to rationalise that tragedies will never, ever happen to them.

(Also, it's a rock and a hard place, because parents get sh**t on all the time for being "helicopter parents" who mollycoddle their kiddies.)

[dead0man]

and lets not even get started on the fact that it's always the mother's fault.   Apparently society hasn't figured out we often have fathers too.  Some of us even give a sh**t about our kids!


(not that I'm saying the father should be blamed either)