Controversy erupted after a gorilla named Harambe was fatally shot to protect a child who fell into the gorilla’s enclosure Saturday at the Cincinnati Zoo.
The Internet is currently swarming with articles on whether it was necessary to shoot the gorilla, whether the parents of the child should be held accountable and whether the zoo should take fault for the lack of safety precaution between children and dangerous animals.
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Celebrities weighed in on Twitter:
I just don't see how your kid ends up in a gorilla pit. I come from one of those if the kids being too quiet something wrong families.
— Charlamagne Tha God (@cthagod) May 29, 2016
Damn homie.. You was just chillin at your crib. R.I.P pic.twitter.com/shTdDzldwh
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) May 30, 2016
Is there an app that will let me mute the word "gorilla" from my internet experience until further notice? I'd PAY for it.
— Awesomely Luvvie (@Luvvie) May 31, 2016
that Gorilla tt is a rabbit hole i can't stop reading. both tragedy & comedy
— Questlove Gomez (@questlove) May 29, 2016
Glad boy's OK-don't condone total mom takedown but how does she not acknowledge Harambe or own up to her negligence https://t.co/7O56k4GgJW
— Holly Robinson Peete (@hollyrpeete) May 31, 2016
If you leave your kid in a car you go to jail, if you let your kid fall into a Gorilla Enclosure u should too! #TeamDl
— DL Hughley (@RealDLHughley) May 30, 2016
Below is an official statement provided by the Cincinnati Zoo regarding the incident.
A 4-year-old boy climbed through a public barrier at Gorilla World at around 4pm today at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and fell into the exhibit’s moat. The two female gorillas in the exhibit were recalled immediately, but the third, a male, remained in the yard with the child. The Zoo’s Dangerous Animal Response Team responded to the life-threatening situation and made the difficult decision to dispatch the gorilla (Harambe).
“The Zoo security team’s quick response saved the child’s life. We are all devastated that this tragic accident resulted in the death of a critically-endangered gorilla,” said Zoo Director Thane Maynard. “This is a huge loss for the Zoo family and the gorilla population worldwide.”
The child was alert when transported to Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The hospital is not releasing details on his condition. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and little boy,” said Maynard.
The Zoo will be open tomorrow, but Gorilla World will be closed until further notice.
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