Culture

Here’s Terrifying Video Of A Child Falling Into A Gorilla Enclosure At The Cincinnati Zoo

WARNING: The videos below contain frightening images

Video has hit the internet showing the incident at the Cincinnati Zoo when a 4-year-old fell into the gorilla enclosure and was dragged around for nearly ten minutes. The video shows the gorilla crowding around the child and then dragging it throughout the moat area of the habitat. The incident led to zookeepers putting the gorilla down, but the frightening moments caught on video via Amber Soler on Twitter show the dire nature of the situation. Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard explained their choices and the consequences involved at a press briefing:

“The child was not under attack but all sorts of things could happen,” Thane said. “He certainly was at risk.”
Thane said zoo officials decided against shooting Harambe with a tranquilizer because the drug takes effect too slowly.
“You don’t hit him and he falls over,” Thane said. “It takes a few minutes.”

Thane said the zoo security team’s quick response saved the boy’s life but all the zoo employees are devastated at losing a rare species.

The videos below can be a little hard to watch, but nothing graphic happens on screen involving the gorilla or the child. It could be something you’d want to avoid, though, so use this as warning:

(Via Amber Soler / CNN)