Cincinnati Zoo Kills Gorilla to Save Child

A four year old child fell about 10 feet into the moat surrounding the gorillas enclosure in the Cincinnati zoo yesterday. A 400 pound male gorilla grabbed the child and dragged him through the moat where he held him for ten minutes until the zoo's special response team shot him.

The gorilla hadn't actually attacked the boy, but given the animals tremendous strength it was felt that the child was in serious danger. Tranquilizing the animal was not an option since the drug would not take effect fast enough for the child's safety.

Zoo Director Than Maynard told the press,"They made a tough choice and they made the right choice because they saved that little boy's life. It could have been very bad".

But it was a big loss for the zoo.

"We are all devastated that this tragic accident resulted in the death of a critically-endangered gorilla," he said in a news release. "This is a huge loss for the zoo family and the gorilla population worldwide."

It was the first time that the Cincinnati Zoo had to kill an animal in an emergency. Maynard said it was "a very sad day" at the zoo.

קישורים:
Cincinnati Zoo kills gorilla to protect small child who fell into enclosure

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