RIP HARAMBE :(

[sally]

Harambe was bred in captivity and was expected to father children in the next couple of years as part of conservationist efforts to preserve the silverback gorilla. By all accounts, he was very well cared-for and loved. He turned 17 on Friday and the zoo had a birthday party for him. He was killed the next day.

I'm so sorry Harambe's dead, but the child's life had to be the priority, of course. I think the people who are criticizing the rescue workers who shot him are off-base. I don't for a second believe that Harambe intended to hurt of kill the boy -- he could have done so many times over in the course of 10 minutes had that been his natural instinct or desire. But, the risk to the boy's life was very real regardless, just by the nature of Harambe's size and the unpredictability of a chaotic scene.

I think people would probably have grown less angry with the parents if the mother's statement had included something, anything, about the loss of Harambe. Here's what she posted.


Source: http://heavy.com/news/2016/05/michelle-g...-petition/

Yeah that's a pretty shitty statement if that's in fact what she wrote. She doesn't sound very humbled or grateful to that giant animal that didn't put a scratch on her son and had to pay with its life.

This is what I read, however. I guess that's after she was getting so much shit.

In a statement issued by a family spokesperson on Monday, the boy's parents said "we are so thankful to the Lord that our child is safe."

"We extend our heartfelt thanks for the quick action by the Cincinnati Zoo staff. We know that this was a very difficult decision for them and that they are grieving the loss of their gorilla," the statement red.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/celebrity/ka...id=DELLDHP

[HairOfTheDog]

^ The statement I posted was her initial statement. The one you posted is her revised statement, after the backlash began.

[Duchess]

I just don't care how the mother feels. All my compassion is for those who cared about Harambe.

[Duchess]

I sound like a horrible person.

[sally]

Well apparently she feels that god is the only thing that saved her son. Which he could have, who knows that's a pretty big drop to escape without injury. But gorillas are intelligent animals, if he fell into the hyena cage I don't know if God would have been around.

[Duchess]

I finally watched the whole video. I should have just continued on without seeing it.

[HairOfTheDog]

I agree; I'm relieved the little boy didn't end up crashing the hyena or big cats' lair.

I doubt the parents will end up facing any charges. But, I hope the possibility quashes any contemplation they (or some money grubbing attorneys) might have to try to sue the zoo.

The zoo should enhance its barriers. The parents should just be grateful their son is okay (and keep a constant eye on the little adventure seeker).

[sally]

Yeah for some reason I don't think the big cats would stand him up by his britches and try to figure out what to do with him while him and everyone else is screaming and crying.

[HairOfTheDog]

Just last week, I read about a man in Chile who infiltrated the lion exhibit.



The man reportedly had a suicide note in his pocket and was shouting about Jesus. He took off his clothes and started taunting the cats as onlookers watched and the lions pounced.

The zoo staff was hesitant to shoot the lions and tried to hose them away first. But, that didn't work. The zoo staff were then forced to shoot the lions dead to save the man (who was gravely injured, but survived).

I read comments by witnesses who thought the zoo staff waited too long to kill the lions, and other comments by outraged animal lovers who thought the zoo staff shot at the wrong target.

Story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...ILLED.html

[Duchess]

other comments by outraged animal lovers who thought the zoo staff shot at the wrong target.

[Duchess]

I was looking for the video of the gorilla who had saved a kid after it fell into the exhibit. It happened several years ago. Anyway, as I was looking I discovered this isn't all that unusual, this kind of thing has happened many times and not with gorillas, it happened in a Jaguar pit and a woman saw her boy ripped to shreds by African dogs.

[HairOfTheDog]

^ I'm sorry for the loss of that little boy and I'm sorry for the parents. Heartbreaking.

I'm also sorry that mother was such an effin' idiot.

Standing a 2-year-old up on a wooden fence directly over an African dog pit (with a warning sign against it). Jesus Christ.

[Duchess]

I have never looked for anything like this before and I'm kinda stunned at how lackadaisical so many adults are with their kids around wild animals!

[sally]

That's why that woman should be grateful to that beautiful intelligent gorilla. If she's not she's a real dick.

[sally]

His former keeper said the same thing I got from the video which is why it's obviously so sad. He wasn't a mindless predator, he had human feelings for the little brat.



Looking at the incident through Harambe's eyes, his former caretaker, Jerry Stones, said in a CNN interview that the breach of his habitat was likely confusing.

"Here is this animal that has this strange thing in his house," Stones said on CNN. "He knew what adult people were but he'd never been around children. It smells similar, it looks similar but 'What is it? Do I play with it? Am I supposed to be afraid of it? What do I do?'"

[Duchess]

Was there any attempt made to call Harambe away from the boy? I don't recall reading anything like that.

It broke my heart when I saw him hold the boy's hand and then again when it looked like he was trying to position the boy behind him. I saw that as an attempt to protect him from all the screaming people. He's probably never dealt with people shrieking in terror before.

[HairOfTheDog]

Harambe and his two female cohabitants were summoned to go inside right off.

The females reportedly complied immediately (which is good, because they didn't have to see Harambe get killed).

From the interview I saw, as the male expected to protect the territory, it wasn't that surprising that Harambe stayed outside with the child.

[sally]

From what I read they immediately called the gorillas out of the exhibit and the females went but he ignored them even before he knew the boy was down there.

I've been to several zoos around the country and I agree with HotD that it's not all for profit at the animal's expense. I've seen some really nice zoos where their habitat is as close to nature as you can get and they wouldn't even be there if it wasn't for humans poaching them and destroying their homes. I don't just go to zoos to gawk at animals without actually researching why they're there. The New Orleans zoo was probably the most beautiful I've seen, but I think a lot of it was destroyed with hurricane Katrina. I don't know what it's like now.

[Love Child]

Was there any attempt made to call Harambe away from the boy? I don't recall reading anything like that.

It broke my heart when I saw him hold the boy's hand and then again when it looked like he was trying to position the boy behind him. I saw that as an attempt to protect him from all the screaming people. He's probably never dealt with people shrieking in terror before.

It is curious how he drug the boy however. I don't think a gorilla would do that with his own offspring....so those saying he was watching out for him is interesting to me.

Amanda O'Donoughue who has worked with Gorilla's in a zoo:

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!

You can find more on her FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/amanda.odonough...9586363094

[sally]

I have no doubt that he could have hurt or killed the boy like dragging him and breaking his neck. But I don't see it as being intentional at all which is why it makes it so sad and unfortunately why they had to kill him. But for the idiots that can't understand that is beyond me, it's a 450 gorillia flinging a 40 lb kid around like a rag doll not knowing it's own strength. He looked confused as to what he needs to do, not angry.