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[CrocMother]

Say that was the last female gorilla on the planet. Do we still kill the gorilla?

 

[CosmicQueso]

Parents bring a kid to a baseball game. Gets hit by a ball in the stands.

Protective services?

Shoot the batter. One shot kill.

 

[Sanjuro]

Shoot the batter. One shot kill.

BRB.

Panda Bear hunting.

 

[Netherscourge]

Parents bring a kid to a baseball game. Gets hit by a ball in the stands.

Protective services?

^ finally, someone who gets it.

 

[akira28]

Those signs do little to actually keep kids out of the areas. They are not a physical barrier. Signs are not people proof. If you want to end the possibility of kids getting into such spaces you need adequate measures.

Parents are prone to human error like in this case.

hrm...I need more cost benefit analysis.

Say that was the last female gorilla on the planet. Do we still kill the gorilla?

no, that's when we defend the gorilla against angry mobs of humans.

lets not over react. we don't need plexiglass walls. we don't need gigantic barriers. we just need to electrify those wires.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Could be worse. Could be one of those situations where they kill the animal AFTER it killed a person. That's the kind of shit I never understood. Like there will be a bear attack in a forest, and then park rangers will go kill the bear. Like bro, it's a fucking bear, what do you expect? That's what predators do, they find prey, kill them and eat them.

Bears are typically fearful of humans. Here in Michigan you are asked in several state parks to report a bear if it wanders into your camp and does not flee. They do not want the aggressive or fearless ones around, whether it's killed someone or not.

Edit: I speak as someone who has hand fed wild bears ice cream when I was a stupid idiot child. I also have done a lot of backpacking/hiking in which you have to hang your equipment from special 'bear poles' because they will wonder into your camp nightly. I have a lot of tales about bears, and 99% of them involve them running like cowards.

 

[Fitts]

Parents bring a kid to a baseball game. Gets hit by a ball in the stands.

Protective services?

An actual parallel to your example: a gorilla gets out of its cage and grabs a child. That's not what happened here.

If you can't properly supervise your children then you shouldn't have them.

 

[norm9]

Fucking humans.

 

[Netherscourge]

Say that was the last female gorilla on the planet. Do we still kill the gorilla?

If it was endangered, they'd probably keep it in a private, 100% secured habitat, not a public zoo where any manner of fuckery could happen.

 

[kswiston]

Bears are typically fearful of humans.

West coast grizzly bears aren't.

 

[Sanjuro]

An actual parallel to your example: a gorilla gets out of its cage and grabs a child. That's not what happened here.

If you can't properly supervise your children then you shouldn't have them.

So, if your kid got hit by a baseball, you are a jackshit parent?

 

[CrocMother]

If it was endangered, they'd probably keep it in a private, 100% secured habitat, not a public zoo where any manner of fuckery could happen.

I know, but it's a hypothetical question. How valuable is the life of one 4 year old, really?

 

[Smokey_Run]

An actual parallel to your example: a gorilla gets out of its cage and grabs a child. That's not what happened here.

If you can't properly supervise your children then you shouldn't have them.

You look down and see that your kid disappeared in the second you looked away because of a distraction. Do you look to the crowd or the enclosure to find your kid?

 

[Hari Seldon]

Say that was the last female gorilla on the planet. Do we still kill the gorilla?

Of course. Evolution decided the gorilla's are not long for this world.

 

[Netherscourge]

An actual parallel to your example: a gorilla gets out of its cage and grabs a child. That's not what happened here.

If you can't properly supervise your children then you shouldn't have them.

Ok, if a gorilla throws a bunch of bananas really hard at a 4-year-old outside the gorilla pit and knocks him out cold...

Child services?

 

[CrocMother]

Of course. Evolution decided the gorilla's are not long for this world.

If I'm the one holding the gun, I'm giving it some thought. Just sayin.

 

[bernardobri]

I know, but it's a hypothetical question. How valuable is the life of one 4 year old, really?

As valuable as the life of any other child.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

West coast grizzly bears aren't.

I don't know what "west coast grizzly bears" are. To my knowledge the California grizzly is the only west coast brown bear, and it's extinct. Unless you're speaking of like Canadaland and Alaska. Those are probably areas not populated enough to give bears the fear of man.

 

[Amory]

Say that was the last female gorilla on the planet. Do we still kill the gorilla?

Yeah. It'd be an even sadder story, but you always save the 4 year old human.

 

[Jeffolation]

Could be worse. Could be one of those situations where they kill the animal AFTER it killed a person. That's the kind of shit I never understood. Like there will be a bear attack in a forest, and then park rangers will go kill the bear. Like bro, it's a fucking bear, what do you expect? That's what predators do, they find prey, kill them and eat them.

If it took a human life it needs to be destroyed. When I was working out west a cougar killed a female hiker in the area. Rangers hunted it down and destroyed it. It should be the fate of all man-eaters.

 

[the_batman]

Dumbass kid their parents..

On the topic of how to neutralize a situation like this without allowing the person or animal get hurt, what about a bracelet or necklace or something that shocks the animals in case they need to be calmed down. Or it could be something that can inject a tranquilizer when needed.

 

[akira28]

Ok, if a gorilla throws a bunch of bananas really hard at a 4-year-old outside the gorilla pit and knocks him out cold...

Child services?

yes. if you can't beat gorilla.bas, you probably aren't fit to be a parent.

 

[Hari Seldon]

The fact of the matter is that zoos need to be designed with toddlers in mind because that is the primary customer of the zoo. I have been to a lot of zoos and the majority of people there have young kids. That enclosure looks inadequate.

 

[CarpeDeezNutz]

The drop in some of those enclosures plus low railing freak me the hell out.

^I had my baby girl and that's what had me mad scared.

 

[cpp_is_king]

If it took a human life it needs to be destroyed. When I was working out west a cougar killed a female hiker in the area. Rangers hunted it down and destroyed it. It should be the fate of all man-eaters.

I'm not even much into animal preservation, but this just makes no sense to me. What would you expect a predator to do when it encountered a human?

 

[J-Rzez]

Oh yea, that's a high-quality barrier right there.

FUCKS SAKE - anyone can crawl through that shit! And all they had beyond it was BUSHES?

I'm shocked more kids don't fall over into that 'enclosure'.

That is a guaranteed lawsuit right there. That zoo is paying that kid's medical bills and putting him through college.

You're probably right about the lawsuit. It's definitely a sad day and age we live in some regards pointing the blame at others instead of the parents themselves.

 

[Jeffolation]

What would you expect a predator to do when it encountered a human?

It took a human life and certainly will be less reticent to do so in future encounters should they happen. It has to be put down.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

I'm not even much into animal preservation, but this just makes no sense to me. What would you expect a predator to do when it encountered a human?

Humans are predators too, you know? The de facto apex predator, given our intelligence and tools. Other predators who fail to realize that tend to end up on the extinct list. The ones that continue to exist are those that learned to fear humans.

 

[oneils]

Watched the video. The gorilla looks to be protecting the child :-/ It cuts off before any shooting happens, but there was no rough handling of the child at all, it honestly lookedl ike the gorilla was trying to help. Towards the end people start shout that the gorilla is drowning the kid, but at that point everything is out of view and you can't see what's going on.

It's possible it got more aggressive after the video cuts off though, sad for all parties involved though

Read the article linked in the op. The news broadcaster edited out the disturbing portions of the video where the gorilla violently dragged the child.

 

[Zero315]

I blame the zoo.

If a 4-year-old is able to climb or maneuver his way into a gorilla enclosure, then they failed to secure the enclosure properly. Parents shouldn't HAVE to worry about their child getting into an "enclosure" with a dangerous animal at a zoo. It should be assumed it wouldn't be possible except in the most extreme cases, and CERTAINLY not with a 4-year-old.

This should never happen. It shouldn't be possible. The zoo has to approach their security and animal enclosures from every conceivable point of view.

They failed and have only themselves to blame.

It's not like the toddler had bolt cutters or planned to break in over a period of days and weeks.

The fencing or whatever it was was not good enough and it was defeated by a curious 4-year-old who just climbed and crawled through. That's not a secured enclosure.

The zoo is to blame. Period.

IN FACT, I would SUE the zoo if I were the parents.

No, the kid didn't plan it and isn't some mastermind. At the same time though, if my kid is saying shit like this:

O’Connor says she heard the 4-year-old saying he wanted to jump into the gorilla’s habitat before the incident. The boy’s mother was also tending to several other young children.

“The little boy himself had already been talking about wanting to ... get in the water. The mother's like, 'No, you're not, no, you're not,'” O’Connor said.

You better believe I'm not turning my back on him, or at the very least moving away from the enclosure.

 

[Fitts]

So, if your kid got hit by a baseball, you are a jackshit parent?

Swing and a miss.

You look down and see that your kid disappeared in the second you looked away because of a distraction. Do you look to the crowd or the enclosure to find your kid?

My parents held my (and my bro's) hand everywhere we went or, where appropriate, carried us. Maybe it wasn't the most convenient thing for them, but they did their job and kept us safe. Of course, education also played a part. At four years old, we were living on a busy street (Route 49 in Marcy, NY) across from a couple that would infrequently babysit us. They grew various berries and rhubarb (loved that stuff) and would let us pick/eat all we wanted when we went over there. Never once was I compelled to cross the busy road to get to the deliciousness on the other side because my parents taught me better. We also had a steep incline with a canal at the bottom in our backyard. (lived a few houses down from lock 20) Never once was I compelled to jump down there despite my infatuation with the constant stream boats passing through because my parents taught me better. My mom also wasn't afraid to give us a good smack when we were out of line.

Ok, if a gorilla throws a bunch of bananas really hard at a 4-year-old outside the gorilla pit and knocks him out cold...

Child services?

Ha! Now that's a parallel!

EDIT: For the record, I do believe that the zoo shares the blame in this scenario.

 

[dejay]

In general, I don't disagree with this at all, but in this case I think the barrier wasn't the problem. Mirroring what was said above, this is the first incident in 40 years - with thousands of kids entering the Zoo per day, I wouldn't say this particular public barrier was ineffective. If the Zoo was advertising this area as a "let your child run around ", then they would absolutely be at fault, but they weren't. Clear signs state kids are the parents responsibility and should be looked after at all times. Yes there's an inherent and, in some cases, uncontrollable risk that the kid could just leg it - but this is a risk that parents accept when taking their kids pretty much anywhere.

If it were, say, a volcano, I might agree with you. However, zoos are generally marketed to families and children. You can't just put up shitty barriers and a couple of signs absolving you of any responsibility. It doesn't work like that. If you were looking at it from a health and safety point of view, Engineering Controls (effective barriers) are more effective than Administration Controls (parental oversight).

Saying that, as you say, incidents have been rare, so a risk assessment may show that nothing needs to be done because the risk is actually pretty low compared to other things in society.

Sometimes we don't actually need to find the party at fault, because kids do stupid things and parents are human.

 

[Mr. Blonde]

I find this extremely sad and upsetting. Do everything you can to get the kid away from the gorilla, but killing the gorilla for being a gorilla is wrong and completely unjustified. Tranquilize it and get the kid away but no need to kill it.


How unfortunate. I love gorillas.

 

[The Lamp]

Fucking hell I started watching the video and stopped it immediately.

The video shows nothing described in the OP. Just the gorilla staring at the child.

 

[FluxWaveZ]

Absolutely, your post reminded me of this reddit post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/19fmjf/autopilot/

I'll never be able to understand this situation until it would happen to me. It just seems that having a child would immediately force you to elevate them, in all circumstances, to a level above "the routine."

 

[TunaMarshmallow]

We should not have zoos. We should stop using animals for trivial purposes and human curiosity. Very sad.

 

[The Lamp]

We should not have zoos. We should stop using animals for trivial purposes and human curiosity. Very sad.

Sometimes their purpose is educational (which spurs conservation, funding, and academic knowledge) and sometimes it's precisely for conserving endangered species.

 

[the_batman]

We should not have zoos. We should stop using animals for trivial purposes and human curiosity. Very sad.

That's what i say. Animals shouldn't be confined to relatively tiny areas just for our amusement.

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

Scary to think with a 6 year old and 1 year old.

But quite the story to see at the top of the page right after watching Rise of the Planet of the Apes for the first time.

Hope the boy is ok.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

We should not have zoos. We should stop using animals for trivial purposes and human curiosity. Very sad.

I disagree, zoos serve an important function in education. And I don't just mean "come look at the animals boys and girls!" I mean many have programs in things like animal biology, and work with local universities to varying capacities. With that said, what we need is to guarantee the animals the best life within reason. Far too many are kept in cages too small, or in regions they are not equipped to handle without the proper facilities. And then there are others like this story which have a failure of proper barriers to keep people out.

 

[longdi]

Parents should have done this when bringing their babies out

No excuses for not looking after your young child no matter how chaotic a zoo can be. Now you killed a 17 year old gorilla.

 

[Sanjuro]

Swing and a miss.

How do you figure?

 

[Parch]

Don't judge a parent when they have their kid on a leash.

 

[kswiston]

I disagree, zoos serve an important function in education. And I don't just mean "come look at the animals boys and girls!" I mean many have programs in things like animal biology, and work with local universities to varying capacities. With that said, what we need is to guarantee the animals the best life within reason. Far too many are kept in cages too small, or in regions they are not equipped to handle without the proper facilities. And then there are others like this story which have a failure of proper barriers to keep people out.

Zoos also act as reserves if a species goes extinct in the wild. On more than one occasion, a species would have been gone for good if it wasn't for captive individuals. In some instances, zoos are able to reintroduce a species in the wild through captive breeding and release programs.

Zoos also help for in conservation efforts, where animals are actually preserved in their natural habitats.

Seeing animals on display is a useful education tool, and is also the carrot that gets people to "donate" to conservation initiatives when they buy their ticket.

 

[NHarmonic.]

Every conflict can be attributed to stupid parents, in the end.

RIP gorilla, and hope the child recovers...

 

[GhostWriter24]

Note to parents: Do not lose your goddamned fucking child in front of a massive gorilla enclosure.

You know, just sayin.

 

[Slackbladder]

To be clear it was a tragedy. Who is responsible? The zoo, obviously. If they can't keep their enclosures secure they should not be allowed to keep dangerous and potentially dangerous animals in them.

 

[crisdecuba]

If you can't properly supervise your children then you shouldn't have them.

You're talking, but you don't understand what you're talking about.

 

[Switch Back 9]

West coast grizzly bears aren't.

I don't know what "west coast grizzly bears" are. To my knowledge the California grizzly is the only west coast brown bear, and it's extinct. Unless you're speaking of like Canadaland and Alaska. Those are probably areas not populated enough to give bears the fear of man.

I live in British Columbia and have witnessed my dog chase a grizzly bear out of a peach tree on my front lawn and away from the house. They most certainly are, in most cases.

 

[Foffy]

Is it really? That's easy to say from a humans perspective.

Sad story all around.

I think he was being egoic enough to imply it was from that perspective. It can't reasonably be from anywhere else.