[Amy Jade]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I wouldn't call making sure enclosures are secure baby sitting

And I wouldn't call watching your child closely in a zoo much to ask, undoubtedly the enclosure wasn't as appropriate as it should have been but if the mother had put his interests first and actually taken care of him none of this would have happened.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Amy Jade

And I wouldn't call watching your child closely in a zoo much to ask, undoubtedly the enclosure wasn't as appropriate as it should have been but if the mother had put his interests first and actually taken care of him none of this would have happened.

I think you're being unreasonable tbh, people get distracted, it happens, wait till you have a kid yourself and come back to me when they're 5 and tell me that not one single time in their whole life did you get distracted

[Amy Jade]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I think you're being unreasonable tbh, people get distracted, it happens, wait till you have a kid yourself and come back to me when they're 5 and tell me that not one single time in their whole life did you get distracted

I look after my neice a lot now and if we are out I don't let go of her hand. If I do she's in my eyeline constantly.

If I took her to the zoo I'd certainly pay her my undevided attention around an enclosure of potentially dangerous animals.

[Ashley.]

LT is anti-religion? I would never have guessed.

[Ammi]

..a zoo is though a place which is essentially for families to visit..so built to keep out children from the enclosures and keep them safe ... with fences ..?...they should be made so that it wouldn't ever be possible for any child to climb over and this is a very young/small child as well..so, so much easier for a larger child..?..there shouldn't have been any shrubbery which could have been crawled through etc and no possible way for him to have been able to get into the enclosure...I mean, that seems like basic safety requirements because it would have to be allowed for parents taking their eyes of their child for a few moments...

[LaLaLand]

Parents need to be reprimanded for causing all of this mess by not watching their child but also the zoo need to look into how such a small child could be able to get into the enclosure to avoid anything happening like this again for sure (higher barriers for a start!)

That poor gorilla.

[Crimson Dynamo]

In a zoo, looking at a massive gorilla, in an open pen situation, you dont ever take your eye off a kid, even for 1 second

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

In a zoo, looking at a massive gorilla, in an open pen situation, you dont ever take your eye off a kid, even for 1 second

omg I'm sorry but this coming from the guy who defended the McCanns decision to leave three babies alone in an unlocked apartment while they went out drinking

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

omg I'm sorry but this coming from the guy who defended the McCanns decision to leave three babies alone in an unlocked apartment while they went out drinking

[_Tom_]

The right thing was done as far as I am concerned. It's humans before animals, end of story. No sane person could sit there and watch a 4 year old boy get killed by an animal. If they hadn't have stepped in, and the boy had died, everyone would be up in arms that they didn't shoot the gorilla.

For a kid to be able to in the first place get into a gorilla enclosure is a safety issue at the zoo you would think.

I just don't get the uproar about it, the gorilla's dead which of course is sad, but hello - we've got a 4 year old boy who's safe and sound.

Originally Posted by Amy Jade

And I wouldn't call watching your child closely in a zoo much to ask, undoubtedly the enclosure wasn't as appropriate as it should have been but if the mother had put his interests first and actually taken care of him none of this would have happened.

The parents have more than one kid, it's tough to keep your eye on every kid. If you turn your eye for a second, anything can happen. Parents make mistakes, no parent is perfect.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by _Tom_

The right thing was done as far as I am concerned. It's humans before animals, end of story. No sane person could sit there and watch a 4 year old boy get killed by an animal. If they hadn't have stepped in, and the boy had died, everyone would be up in arms that they didn't shoot the gorilla.

For a kid to be able to in the first place get into a gorilla enclosure is a safety issue at the zoo you would think.

I just don't get the uproar about it, the gorilla's dead which of course is sad, but hello - we've got a 4 year old boy who's safe and sound.



The parents have more than one kid, it's tough to keep your eye on every kid. If you turn your eye for a second, anything can happen. Parents make mistakes, no parent is perfect.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by _Tom_

The right thing was done as far as I am concerned. It's humans before animals, end of story. No sane person could sit there and watch a 4 year old boy get killed by an animal. If they hadn't have stepped in, and the boy had died, everyone would be up in arms that they didn't shoot the gorilla.

For a kid to be able to in the first place get into a gorilla enclosure is a safety issue at the zoo you would think.

I just don't get the uproar about it, the gorilla's dead which of course is sad, but hello - we've got a 4 year old boy who's safe and sound.



The parents have more than one kid, it's tough to keep your eye on every kid. If you turn your eye for a second, anything can happen. Parents make mistakes, no parent is perfect.

so by that token I hope you are not one of those who criticise the Mccanns?

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

so by that token I hope you are not one of those who criticise the Mccanns?

I wouldn't call making a conscious decision to leave you children on their own for hours while you went out drinking a momentary distraction, how you justify that but condemn these parents is baffling tbqh

[GiRTh]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

I wouldn't call making a conscious decision to leave you children on their own for hours while you went out drinking a momentary distraction, how you justify that but condemn these parents is baffling tbqh

|There was little option than killing the Gorilla. Terrible tragedy to deal with but the actions taken seem appropriate.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Astonishing new footage shows gorilla 'PROTECTING' boy and holding his hand before being shot dead



http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-n...orilla-8082168

[user104658]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Astonishing new footage shows gorilla 'PROTECTING' boy and holding his hand before being shot dead



http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-n...orilla-8082168

There's a good chance that the gorilla was trying to protect the boy, it certainly sounds like it, however it would take a split second for it to kill him even completely unintentionally... especially in a situation where people are starting to panic and the animal is becoming confused. It's tragic, and maybe they could have gotten him out without incident, but in my opinion, it's simply not worth risking the child's life in that way.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

There's a good chance that the gorilla was trying to protect the boy, it certainly sounds like it, however it would take a split second for it to kill him even completely unintentionally... especially in a situation where people are starting to panic and the animal is becoming confused. It's tragic, and maybe they could have gotten him out without incident, but in my opinion, it's simply not worth risking the child's life in that way.

I dont buy "she only took her eye off him for a second"

It does not take a second to get into a dangerous animal pen - it takes a second to run off to the ice cream van but go under the rail, through wires and over the moat wall?

If it so easy it would happen all the time surely? I would be very interested to see the video footage of the bit prior to him entering..

[Amy Jade]

Originally Posted by _Tom_

The parents have more than one kid, it's tough to keep your eye on every kid. If you turn your eye for a second, anything can happen. Parents make mistakes, no parent is perfect.

If they find it difficult to keep track of their kids maybe they should have invested in a buggy or some reigns.

I'm not saying it wasn't an unfortunate accident but the parents should take some responsibility for clearly not being in control of their children.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Also think about the other Gorillas in that pen, intelligent creatures, what do they now think about Humans?

[user104658]

'Do you know any four-year-olds? They can climb over anything'

Trying to avoid the blame with ridiculous statements: I know plenty of 4 year olds and, no, amazingly, they can't simply "climb over anything" .

IF they are going to keep dangerous animals in captivity, they need better enclosures. That's about the long and short of it. This idea that it would be "impossible" to have fences that a child couldn't climb over... is just nonsense.

[AnnieK]

It's a terribly sad situation. The gorilla certainly looks like he is trying to protect the boy and by all accounts the screaming visitors were agitating the situation but ultimately there was only going to be one outcome when a child is at risk. Had the gorilla killed him, I would imagine he would be put to sleep anyway. The zoo should have ensured there was no possible way this could have happened.....or better still zoos shouldn't have caged animals and money invested in conservation in the wild.

[Crimson Dynamo]

[user104658]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Can't disagree with any of that; like I said before, I really can't think of any good reason that a dangerous wild animal's enclosure should be easily accessible by any member of the public, let alone a 4-year-old child. I can't see any way around it not being negligenceon the part of the zoo.

The parents, I think the issue here is the complacency that comes with unquestioning adherence to figures of authority - but as a society, we drum that into people FROM age 4. Basically... people have this idea that "There's no way that X would be allowed", "surely the people in charge will keep us safe", "the place wouldn't be allowed to be open if there was any danger" etc. etc.

Just look at the litigation culture... "Oh I tripped over a broken pieve of path, that's the council's fault for not fixing the path, they owe me..." rather than, "I should have been watching where I was going, I wasn't and tripped."

In short... when people think it's "impossible" for something like that to happen, they aren't considering the possibility of it at all, and like I said possibly become complacent, rather than truly negligent.

In truth... there's really no one "looking out for you and yours" other than yourself, most of the time, and you should live with that in mind. Not paranoia, per se, just awareness.

[Crimson Dynamo]

[Crimson Dynamo]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz...enclosure.html