(Cincinnati) Zoo: Gorilla killed after dragging boy who fell into exhibit; child hospitalized

WCPO ^ | 28 May 16 | WCPO Staff

[ETL]

They probably wouldn't have killed the ape at this zoo in Japan...

Women flock to Japan zoo to see 'hunky' gorilla
AFP, via YahooNews ^ | June 25, 2015 | Associated Foreign Press

A giant gorilla with brooding good looks and rippling muscles is causing a stir at a Japanese zoo, with women flocking to check out the hunky pin-up.

Shabani, an 18-year-old silverback who tips the scales at around 180 kilograms (400 pounds), has become the star attraction at Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Nagoya, striking smouldering poses the movie model in "Zoolander" would be proud of.

"He often rests his chin on his hands and looks intently at you," zoo spokesman Takayuki Ishikawa told AFP on Friday.

"He is more buff than most gorillas and he's at his peak physically. We've seen a rise in the number of female visitors -- women say he's very good-looking."

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...

[ETL]

Don’t know if anyone mentioned it, but some years ago a kid fell into a gorilla enclosure and was actually PROTECTED by one of the gorillas who kept the others away from him.

Story below...

Gorilla Rescues 3-Year-Old Who Fell Into Zoo Exhibit

Adriana Velez
May 23, 2013

"Watching a toddler fall into a zoo exhibit has to be one of the scariest things for a parent to experience. We all remember what happened to that toddler who fell into a wild dog exhibit last fall. They’re not called wild animals for nothing. But one 3-year-old got lucky. A gorilla rescued a toddler who fell into its exhibit, cradling the boy and protecting it from the other gorillas. It even carried the boy to the door to make it easier for paramedics to take the toddler away.

Some people are calling it a miracle, but is it, really? I think we need to give primates a little credit for being nurturing, even of other species. We are, after all, very closely related. Primates have been known to help hurt and lost animals of other species before.

Still, I think this toddler is lucky this protective gorilla (maybe also a mother?) got to him first. Things could have turned out differently otherwise. I won’t even ask how that toddler fell into the enclosure in the first place. Most parents know they need to be careful with their kids, but it just takes a split second of your attention being diverted for something awful to happen. Imagine the horror you would feel, watching your child fall not just from a great height (looks like the fall knocked the kid out), but into a gorilla exhibit!

Thank goodness these were gentle giants and the boy is safe and sound now.

http://thestir.cafemom.com/toddler/155936/gorilla_rescues_3yearold_who_fell

[Figment]

KIn the case of the lions, it wasn’t. Those were adults

[erlayman]

If the child is lying in the case lifeless and unconscious in need of protection the animal is going to be much less aggressive. Falling into the water probably saved the life of the kid but very sadly is what cost the gorilla his.

[Karl Spooner]

The gorilla looked like he was being nice. Here is a video of it.

http://www.fox5dc.com/news/148639902-story

[Red Badger]

#GORILLALIVESMATTER..................

[falcon99]

WTF to you as well. So what’s your point? Yes, stupid and criminally irresponsible parents are responsible for the boy, but not the two lions — that was an idiot man. But in the case of the parents, probably nothing will happen to them other than a slap on the hand. Any way you look at it, it is still death to these animas due to actions of stupid humans.

[traumer]

[Steve_Seattle]

"Sounds like Someone wasn’t watching a child."

So you were there and know what happened? Anyone with a kindergarten understanding of human nature knows that even a loving, attentive parent can be distracted for a few moments, and that it only takes a few moments for a child to get into trouble. In this case, maybe the parent was standing watching the gorilla, entertained, assuming that the child was doing likewise, and not knowing that there was some way for the child to get into the gorilla enclosure.

[BRL]

Black gorillas lives don’t matter. Wouldn’t have killed it if it was an albino.

[PLMerite]

[4yearlurker]

Funny you should say that. The Philadelphia Zoo first started exhibiting insane people in cages.

[xzins]

Since then I’ve read and heard reports and from the woman herself, and she was monitoring the kids. He was not under observation and while with other kids she noticed this one out of her peripheral vision doing what he did. I know that area and 2 as there just a month ago. It’s large, so she didn’t have the child near her.

[xzins]

Was

[wardaddy]

Stupid humans at Yellowstone was the park service

Plenty bison ranchers woulda taken the calf including a freeper in Wyoming who raises bisons and said so

[wardaddy]

Freepers are often times nutty

Especially animal threads

It brings out hand wringers and crumb snatcher haters and latent peta members and nannies

Oh yes the nannies

My hunch is four year old slipped away quickly and got into danger zone and gorilla did what they do

It’s a pity but it ain’t Old Yeller

I saw a boy killed on a motorcycle last week in Nashville

Dad got there in a few minutes on his knees holding his sons dead hand out from under the yellow tarp sobbing and wailing in a way that only comes in a grown man in that sort epic sudden shocking grief

Now that was gut wrenching....still hard to recall

I sure don’t place monkey life over kid life...stupid kid or not

So snap out of it Freepers.

[utahagen]

When in doubt, kill the animal. It’s an ANIMAL, for God’s sake.

[utahagen]

“Lack of parental supervision of a young child...”

That may have been the case, but that wasn’t the child’s fault. When in doubt, kill the animal to save the human.

[Pelham]

“Dad got there in a few minutes on his knees holding his sons dead hand out from under the yellow tarp sobbing and wailing in a way that only comes in a grown man in that sort epic sudden shocking grief”

That’s a tough picture. I don’t envy you witnessing it.

[miss marmelstein]

I’m sorry you witnessed that, wardaddy. How terrible!

Children either have no bones or very soft bones (like a cat!) and move quickly and silently even within restraints to fall, plunge, escape and cause unmitigated trouble for unsuspecting parents or their guardians. I’ve seen it myself. For those who doubt me, I recommend the beautiful and comical Francois Truffaut film “Small Change” to back up my assertion.

I have very little regard for the gorilla. The life of the child was more important. Unfortunately for Brits, who are not the most child-friendly nation in the world, this is a tragedy on the par with the Titanic. How they bore me sometimes!