We were asking where the mother was and what she was doing, long before we knew that the family was black.
Kids are little escape artists. We had twins and it was like herding feral cats. You turn your head for one moment and you never knew where they would disappear to.
That the mother took the kid to the zoo, indicates that she cares for him. Neglectful parents, don't take the time to take their kids to the zoo.