Gorilla held the boy’s hand protectively before he was shot (new video)?

The gorilla’s initial reaction the boy falling into the moat was gentle; you could say very gentle considering his immense size and strength. Harambe appears to hold the boy’s hand or arm and lift him up. Understandably, the boy screams probably not because of pain but because the fearful sight before him. It could be said that Harambe was guarding the boy during a difficult moment much like a father protects his son.

Harambe does then rather violently drag the boy through the water as he moves fast but this is probably the insensitive behavior, by our standards, of a silverback gorilla. For Harambe his behavior is probably non-threatening and relatively gentle. Perhaps he was taking the boy to a safer place, a quieter place as there is considerable noise from spectators.

Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard confirms that the boy was not under direct threat or attack. It was just the possibility of Harambe harming the boy accidentally due to the silverback’s great strength.

gorilla holds the boy's hand protectively
Gorilla holds the boy’s hand protectively
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I wonder, like many others, if the zoo made the correct decision to kill Harambe. Personally it was the wrong decision but I understand the difficulty. Harambe was an innocent player in this tragedy. Humans created the situation under which he was shot dead. A vigil is being held outside the zoo for Harambe.

In a previous post I said the zoo was negligent in a legal sense. I stand by that.

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13 thoughts on “Gorilla held the boy’s hand protectively before he was shot (new video)?”

  1. He did not mean to harm the child. He was curious,but the people yelling confused him. He was pulling the child the way he would his own. Just like the Siegfried and Roy tiger was not trying to harm the performer. The performer was having a stroke,the tiger sensed something was wrong and tried to drag him to safety. The tiger was carrying him by the neck like a cub,if the intention was to harm,the guy would be dead. S&R even made this clear. Both are big,powerful animals,to us it seems rough,but it is just their way.

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    • I completely agree with you Geri. Also as you say the people screaming made things worse. He dragged the boy away. It looks rough but not by the gorilla’s standards. The boy was concussed and scratched but nothing serious. People made this go wrong. People created the conditions under which this animal, who is very close to us genetically, was shot for doing nothing wrong. The zoo are going to improve the barrier. Too late.

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    • Yes, these decisions are very finely balanced. I do think though that the zoo director put himself in this very difficult position by not ensuring the barrier was child proof.

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        • The guy we see on TV all the time who is the director of the zoo. That’s my opinion. He excused himself saying he made the right decision to shoot the gorilla. He has never addressed the issue of secure barriers.

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  2. I believe Harambe was as confused as we all are, on how the child got into his enclosure. I am not familiar with what the Gorillas are taught, or if any teaching is part of their existance, at this Zoo. I think he showed extreme tenderness, but didn’t know what to make of all the screaming..It seems he wanted to remove the child and himself from all the craziness going on around them. Harambe himself was clearly frightened, and not sure what was happening.It looks to me, like he thought the shouting meant for him to take some sort of action. ( Maybe he sensed impending danger for himself and the child.) Not sure of what the child was capable of, he at one point pushes him forward. I think he expected the child to run maybe. He then drags him away again, as if protecting him. He dragged the child away, as a Gorilla would. He does not live with baby gorillas, so he was not aware how to carry a child away. He set the child down, each time he took action to remove him from the situation…He sits quietly with the child where he thinks he is safe. Never once does he forsake the boy, and run away….I did not see any more footage, to commet on. I am truly heartbroken for all involved. The Gorilla, Harambe, of course the frightened little boy,his horrified parents, and the Zoo owners and workers, that loved this gentle giant…RIP sweet boy!

    Reply
    • You bring up a good point about the screaming. The area should have been cleared.
      If this gorilla was captive born and raised most of them know some basic commands just so they can be treated or receive regular grooming that might need to be addressed. Medications etc.
      On the side of reality even not trying to hurt the child he was capable of killing him.
      The blame here rests squarely on the shoulders of the parents.

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      • “On the side of reality even not trying to hurt the child he was capable of killing him.”

        I agree that. I think this is the reason why he was shot. His strength was dangerous. The boy could have been severely hurt by the gorilla accidentally.

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    • I think your comment summarises the gorilla’s mentality and behavior extremely well. It is a situation he should not have been placed in. The zoo placed him in that situation. Wholly unnatural and unnerving.

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      • And his being bred and kept in captivity would be wholly unnecessary if humans would stop poaching them for body parts.
        We either accept these animals being kept in captivity or the eventual demise of the species. Which I guess would be a valid debate. If we can’t sustain a viable population in the wild is it even ethical to try and preserve the species at all.

        Reply

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