Short Version: Gorilla Zookeeper agrees with the decision to shoot the animal.

Long Version:

I am going to try to clear up a few things that have been weighing on me about Harambe and the Cinci Zoo since I read the news this afternoon.
I have worked with Gorillas as a zookeeper while in my twenties (before children) and they are my favorite animal (out of dozens) that I have ever worked closely with. I am gonna go ahead and list a few facts, thoughts and opinions for those of you that aren't familiar with the species itself, or how a zoo operates in emergency situations.

Now Gorillas are considered 'gentle giants' at least when compared with their more aggressive cousins the chimpanzee, but a 400+ pound male in his prime is as strong as roughly 10 adult humans. What can you bench press? OK, now multiply that number by ten. An adult male silverback gorilla has one job, to protect his group. He does this by bluffing or intimidating anything that he feels threatened by.

Gorillas are considered a Class 1 mammal, the most dangerous class of mammals in the animal kingdom, again, merely due to their size and strength. They are grouped in with other apes, tigers, lions, bears, etc.
While working in an AZA accredited zoo with Apes, keepers DO NOT work in contact with them. Meaning they do NOT go in with these animals. There is always a welded mesh barrier between the animal and the humans.
In more recent decades, zoos have begun to redesign enclosures, removing all obvious caging and attempting to create a seamless view of the animals for the visitor to enjoy watching animals in a more natural looking habitat. *this is great until little children begin falling into exhibits* which of course can happen to anyone, especially in a crowded zoo-like setting.

I have watched this video over again, and with the silverback's postering, and tight lips, it's pretty much the stuff of any keeper's nightmares, and I have had MANY while working with them. This job is not for the complacent. Gorillas are kind, curious, and sometimes silly, but they are also very large, very strong animals. I always brought my OCD to work with me. checking and rechecking locks to make sure my animals and I remained separated before entering to clean.

I keep hearing that the Gorilla was trying to protect the boy. I do not find this to be true. Harambe reaches for the boys hands and arms, but only to position the child better for his own displaying purposes.
Males do very elaborate displays when highly agitated, slamming and dragging things about. Typically they would drag large branches, barrels and heavy weighted balls around to make as much noise as possible. Not in an effort to hurt anyone or anything (usually) but just to intimidate. It was clear to me that he was reacting to the screams coming from the gathering crowd.

Harambe was most likely not going to separate himself from that child without seriously hurting him first (again due to mere size and strength, not malicious intent) Why didn't they use treats? well, they attempted to call them off exhibit (which animals hate), the females in the group came in, but Harambe did not. What better treat for a captive animal than a real live kid!
They didn't use Tranquilizers for a few reasons, A. Harambe would've taken too long to become immobilized, and could have really injured the child in the process as the drugs used may not work quickly enough depending on the stress of the situation and the dose B. Harambe would've have drowned in the moat if immobilized in the water, and possibly fallen on the boy trapping him and drowning him as well.
Many zoos have the protocol to call on their expertly trained dart team in the event of an animal escape or in the event that a human is trapped with a dangerous animal. They will evaluate the scene as quickly and as safely as possible, and will make the most informed decision as how they will handle the animal.
I can't point fingers at anyone in this situation, but we need to really evaluate the safety of the animal enclosures from the visitor side. Not impeding that view is a tough one, but there should be no way that someone can find themselves inside of an animal's exhibit.

I know one thing for sure, those keepers lost a beautiful, and I mean gorgeous silverback and friend. I feel their loss with them this week. As educators and conservators of endangered species, all we can do is shine a light on the beauty and majesty of these animals in hopes to spark a love and a need to keep them from vanishing from our planet. Child killers, they are not. It's unfortunate for the conservation of the species, and the loss of revenue a beautiful zoo such as Cinci will lose. tragedy all around.

Agreed.

This is my thought on it as well. Also, the kid should not have been able to get to where they were, and that should be the fault of the parents, not the zoo. You can use the argument that the animals shouldnt be on display, but hell, if a child was about to be attacked by a gorilla, my first instinct would definitely be to stop it as quick as possible by any means necessary.

The whole controversy around this story has been blown so far out of proportion. The fact of the matter is, the child's life was saved. If the child wasn't saved, people would still have a problem.

I can see the headlines now: Cincinnati Zoo Saves Gorilla, Murders Innocent Child.

ftfy

I mean...if the child is about the kill the gorilla, you'd do the same thing.

EDIT- Nvm, misread it.

I don't know enough about what the mother did or did not do, but I imagine every parent takes their eyes of their kid a few times in eighteen years, and sometimes that child then gets up to no good. Parents aren't supermen, and while I will defer to the hypothetical condemnation of actual parents who know how to keep their little nose miners in line, I think it's also unfair to just assume that the mother is a bad parent. Like I said, I'm sure every parent looses track of their kid at one point or another, and this just happened to occur in the worst possible spot.

So it's not just me.

yeh exactly can you imagine the outrage if the gorilla had killed the child because the zoo workers chose not to shoot it?

I saw the video in full and the gorilla was ragdolling that kid around, was definitely in danger.

Yup. I had first seen a shortened version and thought "wtf they had time to tranquilize him." Then I saw him rush down the creek with the kid in hand the second time I saw it and was much less pissed at the workers.

That was an excellent post back there chula.

Re: the concern about the ethics of captivity of gorillas and any other large animals

The real problem is how deeply mankind has encroached on the natural habitats of all these animals. If you're concerned about it start by not breeding. It's real easy not to make babies.

Were wer dese birds wen I was in skool hardyhurhurhurr.

To me this story really is hard to believe

LGBT Conference in Chicago Turns Violent From Anti-Israel Protesters | Observer

Of all the people pro-Palestinian people could pick a fight with they choose the queer community? The left is so weird now.

Because they aren't the left anymore....I keep telling u.

Would that make them the right? And would the right then become the left? Then the left would be right because they're now the right and the right is now the left.

its not that weird to me

lgbt people like israel because they think the state give lgbt people more rights but they are just ignorant

israeli soldiers and the whole IDF are known to take advantage of gay palestinian men and blackmail them and do other nasty awful sh*t

It's amazing to me what an incredibly resilent force anti Semitism is. No matter where no matter when people love to hate Jews.

who the hell said anything about jews????

i'm talking about the IDF. a group which has committed a lot of nasty crimes.

here's a news story worth mentioning

Israeli Soldier Caught On Video Planting Knife On Palestinian Teen Shot by Illegal Settler

this is pretty sickening actually. not critizing israel.

I'd be a lot more impressed if you linked to a Muslim society that isn't a **** hole.

LMFAO

so its ok to shoot this kid because he's a muslim? he might not even be a muslim though? 30% of palestinians are christians

thats irrelevant though

and what you said is pretty disgusting. you complain about anti semitism but its okay to hate on muslims? very logical.

Then go move to Syria. ISIS will look a lot less ****ty next to you.

You've finally said something I can agree with.

Oh I didn't know I had to feel the same way about every culture.

israeli soldiers are the type of pussies that injure a guy, plant a knife on him, use that as an excuse to shoot and kill him. and then call that dead guy a terrorist.

they are also the type of pussies that arrest a 12 year old palestinian girl

http://static.abplive.in/wp-content/...el-580x321.jpg

because a 12 year old child is a threat to their poor little soldiers and bulldozers and gun machines

Too bad you're gay, or I'd hit you up for some hot chick Arab porn stars.

Gee. I'm all shook up about it. Those pictures are very moving.

that's all you got from that last post? really?

no one cares.

There are five million pics of five million ****ty things going on around the globe all around the internet, and I am a heartless bastard to begin with. Welcome to the Western world.

So, no hot Arab video sluts?

Ok. This is one of the very few links I've seen here that actually belong in this thread. Disgusting and unbelievable.

So you don't find that girl being arrested jackoffable?

lol

I didn't watch it, so no.

Every...single...time that a story like this comes out, I always think of what could've happened if I had actually hit on Mrs. E. in high school. What could've been *begin reminiscing bubble*.

Human Remains Found Inside 14ft Crocodile

:D

I don't think they should have killed the crocodile. Is there something about that that I don't understand?

I just found the last bit funny. It's so matter of fact.

If you go in swimming at 10 o'clock at night in Australia, you're gonna have a bad time.