# Gorilla shot to save young boy **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 30, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046 "2016-05-30T01:13:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/1 "2016-05-30T01:13:20Z")
[Here’s the story](http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/29/us/cincinnati-zoo-gorilla-shot/) > [@](#): > > Devastated. Heartbroken. In mourning. > Those are some of the words the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden used Sunday in a contrite explanation for the death of Harambe, a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla killed on Saturday to save a boy who slipped into the zoo’s habitat. > The boy was in “imminent danger,” leaving the zoo’s Dangerous Animal Response Team with no option but to shoot the 450-pound gorilla, zoo director Thane Maynard said in a statement on Facebook. Tranquilizers may not have taken effect in time to save the boy while the dart might have agitated the animal, worsening the situation, Maynard said. IMHO the zoo acted sensibly and took the only decision they could. They saved the kid’s life but some people are behaving as if the gorilla not the child should have been the chief concern. > [@](#): > > “We are heartbroken about losing Harambe, but a child’s life was in danger and a quick decision had to be made,” he said. > > The words did little to assuage an angry chorus of critics who believed the gorilla’s death was unnecessary. Many blamed the boy’s mother for failing to look after her son. Neither the boy nor his family have been identified. > > Some even suggested the boy’s parents should be held criminally responsible for the incident. An online petition seeking “justice for Harambe” through criminal charges earned more than 8,000 signatures in less than 24 hours. > > Others criticized the zoo for responding with what they felt was excessive force. Demonstrators gathered outside the zoo on Sunday calling for a boycott Excessive force? Are these clowns serious? A 400 pound gorilla is tossing a small kid around like a rag doll (not ‘protecting him’ as some have argued), the zoo save the boy and now iidiots are waving around Justice for Harambe signs? This is sheer stupidity. Yes, it’s a shame that the animal had to be put down and yes, the zoo has to take some responsibility for lax security. But let’s keep this in perspective. A child’s life was saved, that’s the important thing here. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/2 "2016-05-30T01:23:30Z")
Why couldn’t they use a tranquilizer gun? I’m guessing most zoos have those on hand. Or offer to trade some bananas for the kid? I think this was a bad decision. Of course I wasn’t there. I do think gorillas are right up there pretty close to people and their lives should be respected. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/3 "2016-05-30T01:26:31Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > Why couldn’t they use a tranquilizer gun? I’m guessing most zoos have those on hand. They felt the child’s life was in immediate danger, and that waiting for the tranquilizer to work would possibly kill the child. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/4 "2016-05-30T01:27:46Z")
They should have shot the parents, next. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/5 "2016-05-30T01:29:31Z")
I’m in agreement that the parents should be held at least partly responsible. Maybe not criminally. But like perhaps the zoo could sue them for loss of property? IANAL, so I have no idea if that’s even a possibility. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/6 "2016-05-30T01:30:58Z")
I’m surprised the zoo had somebody with a rifle so quickly available. I had thought tranquilizers were there method for animal control. Apparently not It’s a terrible outcome. I’m sure the zoo staff are hurting more than anyone else. They get very attached to the animals they care for. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/7 "2016-05-30T01:35:17Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > Why couldn’t they use a tranquilizer gun? I’m guessing most zoos have those on hand. Or offer to trade some bananas for the kid? I think this was a bad decision. Of course I wasn’t there. I do think gorillas are right up there pretty close to people and their lives should be respected. Unlike the movie, the tranq darts take several minutes to work. From the linked article. > [@](#): > > Tranquilizers may not have taken effect in time to save the boy while the dart might have agitated the animal, worsening the situation, Maynard said. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/8 "2016-05-30T01:42:05Z")
> [@](#): > > They felt the child’s life was in immediate danger, and that waiting for the tranquilizer to work would possibly kill the child. Really? My education on this topic consists entirely of watching nature documentaries and the animals seem to drop like rocks milliseconds after being shot. I still think they should have tried it. If the gorilla wasn’t dropping fast enough THEN they could have shot him. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/9 "2016-05-30T01:42:24Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > Why couldn’t they use a tranquilizer gun? I’m guessing most zoos have those on hand. Or offer to trade some bananas for the kid? I think this was a bad decision. Of course I wasn’t there. I do think gorillas are right up there pretty close to people and their lives should be respected. You’ve got two options with a tranquilizer dart. Either it hits a blood vessel, which is pretty rare, or it hits muscle. If it hits a blood vessel, it can work pretty quickly. Then you have a 450 pound gorilla falling over unconscious onto a small child. If it hits muscle, which is much more common, it takes several seconds to several minutes to take effect. Then you have a shocked, angered, and in pain 450 pound gorilla holding a small child. I can see no way in which either scenario will go well. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/10 "2016-05-30T01:43:49Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I’m in agreement that the parents should be held at least partly responsible. Maybe not criminally. Why not criminally? She let her kid wander into a life-threatening situation, and caused the killing of a gorilla. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/11 "2016-05-30T01:55:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Then you have a 450 pound gorilla falling over unconscious onto a small child. How is that any different than a dead gorilla falling on a child? Or someone not getting a kill shot and enraging the animal with a misplaced bullet? ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/12 "2016-05-30T01:55:59Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > Why couldn’t they use a tranquilizer gun? I’m guessing most zoos have those on hand. Or offer to trade some bananas for the kid? I think this was a bad decision. Of course I wasn’t there. I do think gorillas are right up there pretty close to people and their lives should be respected. Offer to trade bananas for the kid? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/13 "2016-05-30T01:58:05Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > Really? My education on this topic consists entirely of watching nature documentaries and the animals seem to drop like rocks milliseconds after being shot. I still think they should have tried it. If the gorilla wasn’t dropping fast enough THEN they could have shot him. The gorilla was tossing the child and dragging him around. You would subject the child to more of that while waiting for a tranquilizer to work? :dubious: He could have been killed in the extra time that would have taken. It’s unfortunate the gorilla had to be shot. He and the little boy were both innocent victims. I’d have hated to see either of them killed, but I’d rather see the child saved than the gorilla if there were no other choice. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/14 "2016-05-30T02:00:47Z")
> [@raventhief](#): > > Offer to trade bananas for the kid? Yeah, really. WTF? @ **spamforbrains** , not **raventhief**. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/15 "2016-05-30T02:01:21Z")
This has happened at other zoos and staff were able to extract the person without killing the gorilla. Couple examples. Jambo was a male and credited with protecting the child. The kid in the Cincinnati zoo wasn’t badly harmed. He’s already back home. He was in the pit with the gorilla over ten minutes before staff shot it. Not saying the staff was wrong. But I wonder if they should have tried something else before shooting? > **[15 Years Ago Today: Gorilla Rescues Boy Who Fell In Ape Pit](https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/15-years-ago-today-gorilla-rescues-boy-who-fell-in-ape-pit/)** > > A boy, now 18 years old, owes his life to the maternal instincts of a gorilla at Brookfield Zoo. [http://lelion.co.uk/](http://lelion.co.uk/) ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/16 "2016-05-30T02:01:22Z")
I’ve read the article and I’m still not clear on how the boy got into the enclosure in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/17 "2016-05-30T02:04:35Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > How is that any different than a dead gorilla falling on a child? Or someone not getting a kill shot and enraging the animal with a misplaced bullet? It’s simple. The impact of the bullet will lift the gorilla off it’s feet and throw it a good 10-12 feet away from the kid. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/18 "2016-05-30T02:27:39Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > They felt the child’s life was in immediate danger, and that waiting for the tranquilizer to work would possibly kill the child. That and as tranqs take effect some animals will react in anger and fear. > [@aceplace57](#): > > I’m surprised the zoo had somebody with a rifle so quickly available. From what I am told ---- after the incident at the Pittsburgh Zoo and the resulting publicity and law suits, many zoos changed their policies on arms and how/when to use them. Some zoos are basically keeping marksmen on staff. [http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/6214265-74/zoo-exhibit-dog](http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/6214265-74/zoo-exhibit-dog) > [@running\_coach](#): > > It’s simple. The impact of the bullet will lift the gorilla off it’s feet and throw it a good 10-12 feet away from the kid. > > 😃 Not even if they had a .600 Nitro Express handy. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/19 "2016-05-30T02:37:53Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > How is that any different than a dead gorilla falling on a child? Or someone not getting a kill shot and enraging the animal with a misplaced bullet? Timing is more precise with a bullet. The risks are still there, of course, but there’s one fewer variables, if you have someone on staff who’s a good shot. There was no perfect way to handle this with no risks. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2016, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046/20 "2016-05-30T02:44:30Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I’ve read the article and I’m still not clear on how the boy got into the enclosure in the first place. Simple , the parents weren’t doing their job in watching their kids , this never happen at this zoo before according the news I saw tonight. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gorilla-shot-to-save-young-boy/756046.md?page=2)