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Gorilla Shot After Escaping at Dallas Zoo, Where It Bit, Scratched Three People
AP ^ | 3-18-04

Posted on 03/18/2004 8:28:49 PM PST by Indy Pendance

DALLAS (AP) - Police shot and killed a gorilla that escaped from its enclosure at the Dallas Zoo on Thursday and injured three people.

One adult and two children, ages 10 and 2, suffered minor injuries from the gorilla and were taken to area hospitals, Deputy Police Chief Daniel Garcia said. He said the three were bitten and scratched.

The zoo was evacuated after the animal escaped and police were notified. When the gorilla charged two officers, getting within 15 feet of them, they opened fire, Garcia said.

"We were forced to put this animal down," he said.

Garcia said police officers' objective was protecting citizens until authorities could figure out what to do with the gorilla.

Diana Gonzalez, a zoo patron, said she saw the animal banging on the door of its enclosure, and then it broke. The gorilla then scampered out of the gorilla pit.

Dallas zoo director Rich Buickerood said the primate was an inquisitive 13-year-old Western Lowland gorilla. He said the animal was likely "extremely excited and extremely fearful while it was out."

He said zoo officials are trying to figure out how the escape happened.

Last year, a 300-pound gorilla escaped twice in two months from Boston's Franklin Park Zoo.

In the second escape, he strolled around the zoo and the surrounding streets for about two hours and attacked a 2-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman. Both suffered minor injuries. The animal was sedated with tranquilizer darts.

The zoo reopened its gorilla exhibit last month without the escapee, named Little Joe, who now spends his time in a holding area away from the public.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: escape; gorilla; zoo
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1 posted on 03/18/2004 8:28:50 PM PST by Indy Pendance
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To: Indy Pendance

2 posted on 03/18/2004 8:30:59 PM PST by eddie willers
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To: Indy Pendance
They KILLED it? They should have tried negotiations first. Banana sanctions at least! Man!
3 posted on 03/18/2004 8:31:45 PM PST by formercalifornian (Daschle who?)
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To: formercalifornian
Was it a Palestinian gorilla?;)
4 posted on 03/18/2004 8:36:06 PM PST by Frank_2001
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To: formercalifornian
Boy the French are going to be mad when they hear this! LOL
5 posted on 03/18/2004 8:36:50 PM PST by Tabi Katz
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To: Indy Pendance; martin_fierro; mikrofon
The inquisitive quick gorilla?
6 posted on 03/18/2004 8:39:53 PM PST by Charles Henrickson (The conservative click guerilla.)
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To: Indy Pendance
I wonder if the cops who gunned it down consulted the UN first.
7 posted on 03/18/2004 8:41:01 PM PST by krb (the statement on the other side of this tagline is false)
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To: formercalifornian
They KILLED it? They should have tried negotiations first.

Dallas cops... I wonder if they found a bag of cocaine... er... ground up sheetrock... er... whatever... on the great ape after they offed it.

Oops. Wrong story. All jokes aside, I approve of the actions of the officers in this case. I just want to see the shooting report and find out how many rounds were fired and how many hits were scored.

/john

8 posted on 03/18/2004 8:41:41 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Soy el jefe de la cocina. No discuta con mí.)
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To: Indy Pendance
Never call the police unless you are willing to have them kill your problem. Sounds like the keepers were not doing their job. First, build the enclosure so the animals can't get out. Second, have a plan to evacuate the zoo and tranquilize any animals that escape anyway.
9 posted on 03/18/2004 8:43:40 PM PST by TheDon (John Kerry, self proclaimed war criminal, Democratic Presidential nominee)
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To: Indy Pendance
Joh Kerry thinks the threat presented by escaped gorillas has been exaggerated.
10 posted on 03/18/2004 8:50:51 PM PST by CheezyD
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To: Indy Pendance
Whatever happened to zoo employees with tranquilizer darts?
11 posted on 03/18/2004 8:52:01 PM PST by squidly (I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosity he excites among his opponents)
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To: TheDon
Three....have Bi-Planes with machine guns at ready.
12 posted on 03/18/2004 8:52:18 PM PST by eddie willers
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To: krb
"I wonder if the cops who gunned it down consulted the UN first."

Thank God they didn't. The UN would wait untill three thousand innocents were murdered and then call for sanctions. And after those sanctions didn't work they would ask for more time to study them while the gorilla was still at large.

13 posted on 03/18/2004 8:52:48 PM PST by blackbart.223
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To: Indy Pendance
Taste like chicken. So I've heard.
14 posted on 03/18/2004 8:55:13 PM PST by Spruce
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To: Indy Pendance
Had this happened at the Cincinnati Zoo, the two officers would be filling out forms for two months, then appearing in front of a citizen's review panel, then would probably have a suspension and reprimands placed in their files. Hell, they might be fired or put on trial!
15 posted on 03/18/2004 8:57:10 PM PST by Chu Gary (USN Intel guy 1967 - 1970)
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To: Spruce
"Taste like chicken. So I've heard."

I'll have to take your word on that.

16 posted on 03/18/2004 8:58:44 PM PST by blackbart.223
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To: Indy Pendance
Police shot and killed a gorilla

Twas beauty killed the beast!


17 posted on 03/18/2004 9:00:00 PM PST by lowbridge (I can think of a punishment worse than death for Saddam, but Hillary is already married.)
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To: Indy Pendance
If they'd just waited a little longer, the Cowboys would have signed it as a defensive tackle.
18 posted on 03/18/2004 9:00:15 PM PST by Slings and Arrows (Am Yisrael Chai!)
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To: blackbart.223
I'll have to take your word on that.

He's lying.

Actually it tastes like soylent green.

19 posted on 03/18/2004 9:01:22 PM PST by lowbridge (I can think of a punishment worse than death for Saddam, but Hillary is already married.)
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To: lowbridge
"Actually it tastes like soylent green."

Then I'll have to take a pass on it.

20 posted on 03/18/2004 9:06:34 PM PST by blackbart.223
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