The boy fell in Harambe Gorilla’s Hölje. Then the drama really started

A Saturday in Cincinnati Zoo 2016 was quickly turned into chaos when a three -year -old boy Glipped into a gorilla casing and a 450 lb. Ape began to pull him. To save the boy’s life, the Zoo authorities made a quick decision to shoot the primate. The entire incident was played out in a A few minutes questionBut then took his own life.

On the ninth anniversary of Harambe The Gorilla’s death, people look back on the chaotic incident and the nationwide reaction triggered in the aftermath.

On May 28, 2016, the boy “through a public barrier climbed at Gorilla World and dropped fifteen meters into the exhibition’s moat” were explained in a statement At that time, noted that Gorillaen, according to a Cincinnati Fire Department report, began to “pull and throw the child.”

“Minutes later, Zoo’s Dangerous Animal Response Team arrived and made the difficult decision to close Gorilla to save the child,” continued the zoo and noted that the boy was then removed from the exhibition and taken to the hospital before being released that night.

“We are heartbroken about losing Harambe, but a child’s life was in danger and a quick decision must be made by our dangerous animal responseam,” added Zoo Director Thane Maynard. “Our first answer was to call Gorillas from the exhibition. The two women followed, but Harambe didn’t.”

Maynard continued to explain that since the child was still in the exhibition with Harambe, gorilla “was not an option” because it would take a few minutes for the gorilla to feel the effects, during what time the child would remain in “overhanging danger.”

“In addition, the impact from the arrow could agitate the animal and make the situation much worse,” Maynard added.

But in the coming days, Zoo -officials met a growing criticism Not to try to calm the 17-year-old western lowland Silverback before using Lethal Force. Maynard still claimed that the time was essentially to protect the child.

“The idea to wait and shoot it with a hypodermic was not a good idea,” Maynard said at a press conference two days after the incident. “The risk was due to the power of that animal.”

The boy’s mother was also eventually reviewed responds to backlash From those who said she had not been aware of her son.

“My son is safe and could go away with a concussion and some scrap … No broken bones or internal injuries,” Michelle Gregg wrote in a then deleted Facebook post. “As a society, we are quick to judge how a parent can remove their eyes from his child and if someone knows me I keep a tight watch on my children. Accidents happen.”

The family went on to encourage those who wanted to help Consider making a donation to the zoo in Harambe’s name.

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Nevertheless, the Internet and a change of change.org continued Justice for harambe – which has since been closed – encouraged the authorities to “keep the parents responsible.”

“This beautiful Gorilla lost her life because the boy’s parents did not keep a closer guard on the child. We signed believes that the child would not have been able to enter the capstering during proper parental control,” it reads.

In the end, in early June 2016, a prosecutor in Ohio Announced Gregg would not face charges In connection with the event.

Harambe moved to Cincinnati Zoo 2014 after to be born and raised in captivity In a zoo in Brownsville, Texas. In Ohio, zoo officials had hoped to breed him as his Species are critically threatened.

Jerry Stones, The Zookeeper who helped to raise himsaid that the loss felt like one of his own relatives had died.

“It ripped me, I was very close to him,” Stones told ABC News. “He showed a positive attitude when it comes to leadership. He cared for his siblings. He would carry them around. That was one of the reasons why I was pressing for him to go to Cincinnati so he could get a family.”

In the aftermath of his death found harambe Eternal life as a meme – Although not everyone laughed by them.

“We do not enjoy the memesPetitions and signs of Harambe, “Maynard told Associated Press back in 2016.” Our zoo family is still healing, and the constant mention of Harambe makes it harder for us to move forward. We honor Harambe by doubled our Gorilla preservation efforts and encouraging others to join us. ”

Yet the legacy of Harambe is still alive.