Gorilla Shot After Escaping at Dallas Zoo, Where It Bit, Scratched Three People

AP ^ | 3-18-04

[GeronL]

After hours???

David Gold was on the radio, his show is 3-6pm

[GeronL]

what is this after hours business?? There were 300 people near the ape cages that were evacuated at the time.

[GeronL]

What is 'after hours' to a zoo employee anyway?? LOL

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for the update there. The woman may have been shook up still or
KRLD got it wrong, lol ! (Or maybe that was how the monkey got out and I
misunderstood?). Anyway ....

That's amazing. It sounds almost escape-proof.

[Americanchild]

Most keepers work 7-4, so 5 is "after hours". I was one of the few keepers still there, and of course the night keepers.Public relations and other visitor services are there late too. You must understand that no one could have expected that an animal would escape from an exhibit that it has lived in for years. There is still no evidence that he ever crossed the perimeter! (no broken vegetation, footprints, or anything) Did he suddenly sprout wings and fly out?!

[Americanchild]

Nope. Barney was filmed at Dallas Zoo several years ago.

[MeekOneGOP]

haha ! That's a great chimp gif ! ...

[FITZ]

Those poor kids will be traumatized for life and never want to go to the zoo

They had nothing but minor injuries -- a little bite. A 2 year old could get that playing with another 2 year old. The poor gorilla lost his life.

[Let's Roll]

Today's Dallas Morning News says the 3-year-old boy is in "fair" condition at Children's (hospital) and "expected" to recover. Far past injuries he might have gotten from a two year old.

[SpookBrat]

I wasn't necessarily talking about the injured little boy. I was thinking of everyone who witnessed the episode.

[FITZ]

I had read that the injuries were minor --- but apparently they weren't. Still it's not the animal's fault that he was not properly confined. He's not a pet, he's a wild dangerous animal and it's lucky he didn't want to kill someone or he obviously would have. I guess that's part of the attraction with zoos --- wild dangerous animals kept within a few feet of us.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Caging animals and putting them in zoos for people to gawk at sucks, IMO.

[Let's Roll]

According to Dallas Morning News - requires registration but free and there are several articles - the gorilla enclosure was award winning - tested by experienced rock climbers to see if escape was possible etc. They still don't know how it got out.

It charged the police officers after it had chased, bitten etc. the other victims. Police did not just calmly go in, draw a bead on it and shoot it.

The police made the right decision "under fire." People - especially children have to come first.

OTOH, I hate to see animals confined in zoos - especially the highly intelligent ones - but I do understand the value - it raises interest in preserving the endangered species.

Also Fort Worth Star Telegram has several stories.

[RightWhale]

I was thinking of everyone who witnessed the episode.

Why?

[Americanchild]

Police did not just calmly go in, draw a bead on it and shoot it.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Ok, the media is spinning this to death. I was there; they were not. A number of police were on hand but they were waiting for the word from zoo officials. They have free reign if the animal leaves zoo gounds but our own weapons team controls inside. Meanwhile the SWAT team arrived. They literally stormed the zoo in full battle gear! They were NOT called and were not authorized in any way. Now let's get one thing clear: the public had already been evacuated or locked in "safe places" by zoo staff. This happened immediately and just as it should. There was absolutely no one near the animal. But the SWAT went in anyway and surrounded him. When he did some mock charges they moved closer rather than back! They shot him 3 times. The first shot dropped him, then there was a pause of about 30 seconds. They shot him again when he looked like he was getting up. Again a long pause, maybe a minute this time. When he moved again, they shot him a third time. This was NOT an act of defense as the SWAT had no reason to be there in the first place!

Believe me, I would be the first to shoot if someone was in danger. But this was a cold calculated killing any way you look at it.

[Let's Roll]

I have read all of your posts and you have been informative and diligent in sharing what you witnessed as well as info about how the zoo operates etc.

BUT - the rush to judge what the cops should have done is still hindsight. I believe everything you say about what you witnessed - but you didn't see everything.

This was an extremely dangerous, out of control animal. Read the Star Telegram's account of it chasing Cheryl Reichert and the four children down the stairs, throwing her around like a rag doll etc.

The police would have had no way of knowing when that was going to happen again ... to one of them.

Here's the link:
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/8235831.htm

[GeronL]

I think it was a straight to video thing, I remember playing it for my neice. Could have sworn it said Fort Worth Zoo on that sign =o)

[GeronL]

Have they decided how he got out yet?

[Americanchild]

Yes---a dangerous FRIGHTENED animal. A bunch of men rushing in to surround him was not the answer---and none of our procedures allow them to do that. The "regular" cops were waiting for permission as they should. I repeat, there was no one left for him to hurt in twenty five acres! Even if he had somehow made his way to the other side of the zoo, it was in lock-down behind a large floor to ceiling gate. The cops were in danger only because they put themselves in danger.

[Americanchild]

Have they decided how he got out yet?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

Nope. It's a complete mystery. There's not even any sign that he crossed the top edge of the exhibit! They even brought in a professional tracker who couldn't find any signs either.

I didn't think they could fly...