Safety?

Like most people, I was saddened and angry to learn of the events at the Cincinnati Zoo last week. The death of Harambe, a mature silverback gorilla is horrifying, just as seeing a four-year-old child being dragged through the water and slammed against rocks is horrifying. Thanks to the press, social media and the ability to take videos with a cell phone we were privy to all the brutal details, but I must question how those details were presented. I was appalled to find the child’s mother being persecuted on social media as someone who wasn’t taking proper care of her offspring, resulting in the death of an endangered animal.  No. The zoo, when it accepts your entrance fee, promises safety. Did everyone see the fence around the gorilla enclosure? A full-grown adult could probably have gotten through, never mind a four-year-old. Yet, within all the coverage, I only saw one picture of that fence. We were all too busy blaming the mother, so, in addition to watching her son nearly get killed, she has to endure the harsh judgment of people who may not have thought the thing through, to put it kindly. In my opinion the entire unhappy event is wholly the fault of the zoo.  Does anyone take their kid to the zoo without an expectation of safety? Of course not. We are not in the habit of putting our children in the path of danger, as far as I know.  That woman had every right to expect proper confinement of the exhibited animals. It was not there. The zoo failed the gorilla, that child, and his mother . Today I hear she isn’t going to sue, because the zoo has promised to improve the situation, for which I applaud her. She is taking the high road. I hope the Cincinnati Zoo does the same. Rest in peace, Harambe.