Sliverback

[lukey 1,621]

This was an accident that shouldn't have happened, maybe the zoo could make the place a lot more kid friendly and parents could be a bit more carful with there kids at zoo, imo zoo is a fault not only could they make it impossible for anyone to make it into the enclosure but they would also save having to shoot there own animals of anyone where to fall into them!

[Deker 3,478]

This was an accident that shouldn't have happened, maybe the zoo could make the place a lot more kid friendly and parents could be a bit more carful with there kids at zoo, imo zoo is a fault not only could they make it impossible for anyone to make it into the enclosure but they would also save having to shoot there own animals of anyone where to fall into them!

 

Zoos have been under immense pressure over the last few years from the public and animal welfare organisations to reduce bars and cages and increase the size of enclosures to make them more animal and visitor friendly.

 

How did the child actually get into the enclosure, I haven't seen that confirmed yet?

Edited May 31, 2016 by Deker

[shepp 2,285]

I know one thing if one of mine did end up like that I would be straight in along side them,whether it's water(I can't swim) , dangerous animal whatever. My kids are my all.

Now that would piss it off and it may well get angry enough to kill the pair of you.

[shepp 2,285]

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw the footage for the first time this morning. Looks, to me, like the gorilla was taking better care of the child than his mother was !

Gorillas are generally very gentle, despite their enormous size, and if he was going to hurt the child, he had plenty of time to do it ! Very sad really !

So you would be perfectly happy if one of your kids/grandkids were in with the gorilla then?

What I'm suggesting is that they may have over-reacted in shooting the gorilla......

So you would be happy if you're kid/grandkids was on there then?

You seem to be going by the little snippets of video holding hands and such? Plenty of eye witnesses said that it wasn't all sweetness and cuddles.

I'm going by the word of primate experts (that's neither you nor me), who says that the gorilla presented no threat to the boy. What I do know about gorillas is that they are not nearly as dangerous as most people believe, and they rely on their size to intimidate, rather than actually use physical violence.

And I stand by the belief that it was probably unnecessary to kill the animal.

He could easily have accidentally killed the boy though,he wasn't exactly playing gently.

There own young are fragile, but the silverback's are surprisingly gentle with them.

[sussex 5,777]

Whist the gorilla seemed fairly calm with just the kid in there I'm not so sure it would have remained that way if an adult then went in ...sometimes a calm head is better than an act of bravery or desperation ..

[Blackbriar 8,569]

 

 

 

 

 

I saw the footage for the first time this morning. Looks, to me, like the gorilla was taking better care of the child than his mother was !

Gorillas are generally very gentle, despite their enormous size, and if he was going to hurt the child, he had plenty of time to do it ! Very sad really !

So you would be perfectly happy if one of your kids/grandkids were in with the gorilla then?

What I'm suggesting is that they may have over-reacted in shooting the gorilla......

So you would be happy if you're kid/grandkids was on there then?

You seem to be going by the little snippets of video holding hands and such? Plenty of eye witnesses said that it wasn't all sweetness and cuddles.

I'm going by the word of primate experts (that's neither you nor me), who says that the gorilla presented no threat to the boy. What I do know about gorillas is that they are not nearly as dangerous as most people believe, and they rely on their size to intimidate, rather than actually use physical violence.

And I stand by the belief that it was probably unnecessary to kill the animal.

The same primate experts who shot the gorilla? So going by your above post I'll ask again.....would you have been ok with you're kids/grandkids being in that enclosure? Or are you fine jumping on the same bandwagon that went through this place with Cecil the lion?

 

I would imagine it was a zoo employee who shot the animal, and just for the record, I didn't see what all the fuss over Cecil was !

[johnny boy68 11,726]

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw the footage for the first time this morning. Looks, to me, like the gorilla was taking better care of the child than his mother was !

Gorillas are generally very gentle, despite their enormous size, and if he was going to hurt the child, he had plenty of time to do it ! Very sad really !

So you would be perfectly happy if one of your kids/grandkids were in with the gorilla then?

What I'm suggesting is that they may have over-reacted in shooting the gorilla......

So you would be happy if you're kid/grandkids was on there then?

You seem to be going by the little snippets of video holding hands and such? Plenty of eye witnesses said that it wasn't all sweetness and cuddles.

I'm going by the word of primate experts (that's neither you nor me), who says that the gorilla presented no threat to the boy. What I do know about gorillas is that they are not nearly as dangerous as most people believe, and they rely on their size to intimidate, rather than actually use physical violence.

And I stand by the belief that it was probably unnecessary to kill the animal.

The same primate experts who shot the gorilla? So going by your above post I'll ask again.....would you have been ok with you're kids/grandkids being in that enclosure? Or are you fine jumping on the same bandwagon that went through this place with Cecil the lion?

I would imagine it was a zoo employee who shot the animal, and just for the record, I didn't see what all the fuss over Cecil was !

Dodged the question again....

[Lab 10,979]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw the footage for the first time this morning. Looks, to me, like the gorilla was taking better care of the child than his mother was !

Gorillas are generally very gentle, despite their enormous size, and if he was going to hurt the child, he had plenty of time to do it ! Very sad really !

So you would be perfectly happy if one of your kids/grandkids were in with the gorilla then?

What I'm suggesting is that they may have over-reacted in shooting the gorilla......

So you would be happy if you're kid/grandkids was on there then?

You seem to be going by the little snippets of video holding hands and such? Plenty of eye witnesses said that it wasn't all sweetness and cuddles.

I'm going by the word of primate experts (that's neither you nor me), who says that the gorilla presented no threat to the boy. What I do know about gorillas is that they are not nearly as dangerous as most people believe, and they rely on their size to intimidate, rather than actually use physical violence.

And I stand by the belief that it was probably unnecessary to kill the animal.

The same primate experts who shot the gorilla? So going by your above post I'll ask again.....would you have been ok with you're kids/grandkids being in that enclosure? Or are you fine jumping on the same bandwagon that went through this place with Cecil the lion?

I would imagine it was a zoo employee who shot the animal, and just for the record, I didn't see what all the fuss over Cecil was !

Dodged the question again....

It really is beyond belief that anyone thinks they might just 'take a chance and dart it' when there kids life is in danger. I'm sorry but id want it shot even if it wasn't my kid in there never mind if it was.

It's a shame to loose such a magnificent animal under the circumstance....but ffs come on!!!

[scotty12 1,988]

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 their 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.

 

*me working (very carefully) with a 400+ pound silverback circa 2009

 

 

 

 

Taken from someone in the know !!!!

[Blackbriar 8,569]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw the footage for the first time this morning. Looks, to me, like the gorilla was taking better care of the child than his mother was !

Gorillas are generally very gentle, despite their enormous size, and if he was going to hurt the child, he had plenty of time to do it ! Very sad really !

So you would be perfectly happy if one of your kids/grandkids were in with the gorilla then?

What I'm suggesting is that they may have over-reacted in shooting the gorilla......

So you would be happy if you're kid/grandkids was on there then?

You seem to be going by the little snippets of video holding hands and such? Plenty of eye witnesses said that it wasn't all sweetness and cuddles.

I'm going by the word of primate experts (that's neither you nor me), who says that the gorilla presented no threat to the boy. What I do know about gorillas is that they are not nearly as dangerous as most people believe, and they rely on their size to intimidate, rather than actually use physical violence.

And I stand by the belief that it was probably unnecessary to kill the animal.

The same primate experts who shot the gorilla? So going by your above post I'll ask again.....would you have been ok with you're kids/grandkids being in that enclosure? Or are you fine jumping on the same bandwagon that went through this place with Cecil the lion?

I would imagine it was a zoo employee who shot the animal, and just for the record, I didn't see what all the fuss over Cecil was !

Dodged the question again....

I don't see any RELEVANT question to dodge.

I'm simply querying whether it was absolutely necessary to shoot dead an animal that, as far as I'm aware, isn't known for attacking anything at all, let alone humans.

[pesky1972 5,272]

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 their 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.

 

*me working (very carefully) with a 400+ pound silverback circa 2009

 

 

 

 

Taken from someone in the know !!!!

Yeah I get all that...., but it was holding his handypoos?

[Onlyworkmatters 1,584]

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 their 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.

 

*me working (very carefully) with a 400+ pound silverback circa 2009

 

 

 

 

Taken from someone in the know !!!!

 

Nothing worse than someone who knows what theyre on about to kill a thread lol

[johnny boy68 11,726]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw the footage for the first time this morning. Looks, to me, like the gorilla was taking better care of the child than his mother was !

Gorillas are generally very gentle, despite their enormous size, and if he was going to hurt the child, he had plenty of time to do it ! Very sad really !

So you would be perfectly happy if one of your kids/grandkids were in with the gorilla then?

What I'm suggesting is that they may have over-reacted in shooting the gorilla......

So you would be happy if you're kid/grandkids was on there then?

You seem to be going by the little snippets of video holding hands and such? Plenty of eye witnesses said that it wasn't all sweetness and cuddles.

I'm going by the word of primate experts (that's neither you nor me), who says that the gorilla presented no threat to the boy. What I do know about gorillas is that they are not nearly as dangerous as most people believe, and they rely on their size to intimidate, rather than actually use physical violence.

And I stand by the belief that it was probably unnecessary to kill the animal.

The same primate experts who shot the gorilla? So going by your above post I'll ask again.....would you have been ok with you're kids/grandkids being in that enclosure? Or are you fine jumping on the same bandwagon that went through this place with Cecil the lion?

I would imagine it was a zoo employee who shot the animal, and just for the record, I didn't see what all the fuss over Cecil was !

Dodged the question again....

I don't see any RELEVANT question to dodge.

I'm simply querying whether it was absolutely necessary to shoot dead an animal that, as far as I'm aware, isn't known for attacking anything at all, let alone humans.

Aye whatever.

[Francie 6,368]

That put thatto bed then lol

[sussex 5,777]

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 their 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.

*me working (very carefully) with a 400+ pound silverback circa 2009

Taken from someone in the know !!!!

 

The words of a professional ...excellent ..