Harambe the Gorilla’s behavior explained by expert
The shooting of Harambe, a silverback gorilla, has sparked outrage around the world.
A 4-year-old boy crawled under a rail and through wires, before falling 3.5 meters into a gorilla cage at the zoo.
Video footage shows the 17-year-old, 400 pound, male gorilla gripping the child close to him and then dragging him through a moat.
Zoo Director Thane Maynard said the gorilla didn't appear to be attacking the child but was "an extremely strong" animal in an agitated situation.
He said tranquilising the gorilla wouldn't have knocked him out immediately, leaving the boy in danger.
"They made a tough choice and they made the right choice because they saved that little boy's life," Maynard said.
Although the Zoo director said they had no other option, a gorilla expert however says that the gorilla would have not harmed the child.
Speaking to news.com, University of New England animal behaviour expert Gisela Kaplan said: “Usually a child is not a threat.
“The silverback would’ve understood that it was a defenceless small child. They would not normally attack, they are not an aggressive species (and) in the wild I’m certain the boy wouldn’t have been killed.
“If he was going to attack he would’ve warned him first. The first thing they do is charge and beat their chests and as far as I know that didn’t happen.”
She also added that Harambe's family would now be grieving.
Source news.com