Zookeeper Finally Explains What Harambe Was Actually Doing With The Kid
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Since Harambe, a 17-year-old silverback gorilla was shot dead at Cincinnati Zoo after a 4-year-old kid managed to get into his enclosure, many people were arguing that there was no need to kill the animal, claiming that he was actually trying to take care of the boy. However, Amanda O’Donoughue, a former zookeeper, has a whole different opinion which she expressed on a Facebook post a few days ago.
More info: Facebook
“An adult male silver back gorilla has one job, to protect his group”
“Now Gorillas are considered ‘gentle giants’ at least when compared with their more aggressive cousins the chimpanzee, but a 400+ pound male in his prime is as strong as roughly 10 adult humans. What can you bench press? OK, now multiply that number by ten. An adult male silverback gorilla has one job, to protect his group. He does this by bluffing or intimidating anything that he feels threatened by.”
Image credits: Amanda O’Donoughue
The scene of Harambe with the kid is “pretty much the stuff of any keeper’s nightmares”
“I have watched this video over again, and with the Harambe’s posturing, and tight lips, it’s pretty much the stuff of any keeper’s nightmares, and I have had MANY while working with them. This job is not for the complacent. Gorillas are kind, curious, and sometimes silly, but they are also very large, very strong animals. I always brought my OCD to work with me. checking and rechecking locks to make sure the animals under my care and I remained separated before entering to clean.”
Harambe wasn’t trying to protect the kid – he used him to intimidate people
“I keep hearing that the Gorilla was trying to protect the boy. I do not find this to be true. Harambe the Gorilla reaches for the boy’s hands and arms, but only to position the child better for his own displaying purposes. Males do very elaborate displays when highly agitated, slamming and dragging things about. Typically they would drag large branches, barrels and heavy weighted balls around to make as much noise as possible. Not in an effort to hurt anyone or anything (usually) but just to intimidate. It was clear to me that he was reacting to the screams coming from the gathering crowd.”
Image credits: Courtesy Cincinnati Zoo
Why tranquillizers weren’t an option
“They didn’t use Tranquilizers for a few reasons, A. Harambe would’ve taken too long to become immobilized, and could have really injured the child in the process as the drugs used may not work quickly enough depending on the stress of the situation and the dose B. Harambe would’ve have drowned in the moat if immobilized in the water, and possibly fallen on the boy trapping him and drowning him as well.”
Image credits: William Philpott
“I can’t point fingers at anyone in Harambe’s death, but we need to really evaluate the safety of the animal enclosures from the visitor side…I know one thing for sure, those keepers lost a beautiful, and I mean gorgeous silverback and friend. I feel their loss with them this week. As educators and conservators of endangered species, all we can do is shine a light on the beauty and majesty of these animals in hopes to spark a love and a need to keep them from vanishing from our planet. Child killers, they are not. It’s unfortunate for the conservation of the species, and the loss of revenue a beautiful zoo such as Cinci will lose.”
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The enclosure should have been better protected for these reasons. The mother of the child was negligent. RIP Harambe.
The mother and the father were negligent.
So much hate. The mother and father messed up big time, but in the end, they should have been paying more attention, and we all make mistakes sometimes. That should be a wake up call to appreciate and care for their son more, as an innocent Silverback had to die for them to learn a lesson.
bruh shut the f**k up. the kid was curious, why the f**k are you calling him a MONSTER? you're the only monster here you silly f*****g c**t
He never said the child did anything my smart one
No u
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
As if there was a father in that situation. Get real. That trash mother should be locked up for letting her little monster get into the cage in the first place. RIP Harambe. We will never forget you bro! DICKS OUT!
Right because a zoo that's 42 YEARS old and never once has had an issue is at fault NO the mother is the issue here WATCH YOUR CHILD!!
The PARENTS of the child, there were 2 of them, why is it just the mother who is responsible.
The father wasn't there. That's why . She should have waited to go when she had help watching her kids, apparently she needed it.
Fuck you daddy
I'm sorry i got mad when it comes to harambe. I have downtism
I fault the zoo AND the parents. If a 4 year old could gain access to that moat, the enclosure was woefully inadequate.
Wild animals need tight enclosures I blame some to parent and some to zoo for not having it secure if the kid got in what's stopping the silverback from finding same hole and getting out remember these are wild they need concrete and safe fences
Probably the shear 15ft drop the kid had to get down to reach the water I imagine. That gorilla had been there for nearly 17 years and hadn't found a hole in all reality he was never going to was he. That was his life he knew no different. At the end of the day a stranger was in his home... as my son put it what happened is the equivalent of the police shooting you when someone is pointing their gun at you. That kid should have been better cared for. At 4 my eyes wouldn't have been off my children and when they were my hand would have been holding theirs. It didn't need to happen and the fault lies with the parents for not actually parenting their child.
because gorilla can't squeeze through the fence. Maybe the wild animals should be left in the wild where THEY BELONG. They don't belong in zoos for this to happen
Usualy I dont say very much about something like this but I think for sure something went wrong and for sure changes will be made to prevent it from happening again... For the ones saying the parents are negligent unless you were there and saw the whole thing I do not think you can say very much ... listen to the mother as if she didnt care... put your selves in there shoes how would you of reacted... I am sorry to say that prob 90% of people claming negligent dont have kids and or locked them up in their rooms all the time playing video games.... sorry end of rant .... we are not all perfect but for thise that think they are please wait and see when something happends to you.... it is a sad situation and changes will be made.
Concrete for wild creatures...seriously?! Stupidity if humans is the issue.
Wild animals shouldn't be locked in cages in the first place!!! They are not our property to do with as we idiot humans please!!! They are fellow earthlings who are just as deserving as any other to a safe place to live FREE with their families! Selfish, egotistical humans who overpopulate, pollute, destroy and rape the planet for short-term profitability instead of protecting it for long term sustainability for all species are the cause of all the problems including this scenario where an innocent animal lost his LIFE! The parents should have totally been held accountable and harambe should not have been murdered in his HOME/enclosure.
What if... and this is just a thought... What if it's NOBODY'S fault and it was just a horrible accident and we all just need to move on like rational adults? HAHAHAHAHA! Oh... Oh, man... Sorry. I thought I could say that with a straight face, but no...
Because when things like this happen it needs to be evaluated and a solution needs to be found as to how it can be fixed where nothing like this will ever happen again. Whoever agrees with this statement is an ignorant idiot.
BGONE MATT
Like, why cant we just move on and let Harambe rest in piece?
I agree with ya kid
I saw a report on the enclosure yesterday and it was said by someone who went to see it that is would have been very difficult to get in to the enclosure to the Gorilla because there were several barriers to get by to get in there. That child must have been gone for quite some time to get into a situation to see that Gorilla, which he wanted to do. Very Sad!
Exactly
False. A 3 foot railing with a wire cable threaded through the middle similar to a boxing ring and behind it a 3 foot bushed ledge that the child crawled through unable to see the 15ft drop. He flopped over the railing. One witness described. Thats how low this fence was. And the main witness in my opinion who has been the most truthful without adding all the bs tall tales said her husband reached over the railing to try and grab him before he tumbled over the tiny ledge and that he was going to jump down into the pit but she forbade him. Where you are getting these indiana jones stories as if the child went over a 1000 obstacles and gone for several minutes when but split seconds I don't know.
I agree
The enclosure should have been better protected for these reasons. The mother of the child was negligent. RIP Harambe.
The mother and the father were negligent.
So much hate. The mother and father messed up big time, but in the end, they should have been paying more attention, and we all make mistakes sometimes. That should be a wake up call to appreciate and care for their son more, as an innocent Silverback had to die for them to learn a lesson.
bruh shut the f**k up. the kid was curious, why the f**k are you calling him a MONSTER? you're the only monster here you silly f*****g c**t
He never said the child did anything my smart one
No u
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
As if there was a father in that situation. Get real. That trash mother should be locked up for letting her little monster get into the cage in the first place. RIP Harambe. We will never forget you bro! DICKS OUT!
Right because a zoo that's 42 YEARS old and never once has had an issue is at fault NO the mother is the issue here WATCH YOUR CHILD!!
The PARENTS of the child, there were 2 of them, why is it just the mother who is responsible.
The father wasn't there. That's why . She should have waited to go when she had help watching her kids, apparently she needed it.
Fuck you daddy
I'm sorry i got mad when it comes to harambe. I have downtism
I fault the zoo AND the parents. If a 4 year old could gain access to that moat, the enclosure was woefully inadequate.
Wild animals need tight enclosures I blame some to parent and some to zoo for not having it secure if the kid got in what's stopping the silverback from finding same hole and getting out remember these are wild they need concrete and safe fences
Probably the shear 15ft drop the kid had to get down to reach the water I imagine. That gorilla had been there for nearly 17 years and hadn't found a hole in all reality he was never going to was he. That was his life he knew no different. At the end of the day a stranger was in his home... as my son put it what happened is the equivalent of the police shooting you when someone is pointing their gun at you. That kid should have been better cared for. At 4 my eyes wouldn't have been off my children and when they were my hand would have been holding theirs. It didn't need to happen and the fault lies with the parents for not actually parenting their child.
because gorilla can't squeeze through the fence. Maybe the wild animals should be left in the wild where THEY BELONG. They don't belong in zoos for this to happen
Usualy I dont say very much about something like this but I think for sure something went wrong and for sure changes will be made to prevent it from happening again... For the ones saying the parents are negligent unless you were there and saw the whole thing I do not think you can say very much ... listen to the mother as if she didnt care... put your selves in there shoes how would you of reacted... I am sorry to say that prob 90% of people claming negligent dont have kids and or locked them up in their rooms all the time playing video games.... sorry end of rant .... we are not all perfect but for thise that think they are please wait and see when something happends to you.... it is a sad situation and changes will be made.
Concrete for wild creatures...seriously?! Stupidity if humans is the issue.
Wild animals shouldn't be locked in cages in the first place!!! They are not our property to do with as we idiot humans please!!! They are fellow earthlings who are just as deserving as any other to a safe place to live FREE with their families! Selfish, egotistical humans who overpopulate, pollute, destroy and rape the planet for short-term profitability instead of protecting it for long term sustainability for all species are the cause of all the problems including this scenario where an innocent animal lost his LIFE! The parents should have totally been held accountable and harambe should not have been murdered in his HOME/enclosure.
What if... and this is just a thought... What if it's NOBODY'S fault and it was just a horrible accident and we all just need to move on like rational adults? HAHAHAHAHA! Oh... Oh, man... Sorry. I thought I could say that with a straight face, but no...
Because when things like this happen it needs to be evaluated and a solution needs to be found as to how it can be fixed where nothing like this will ever happen again. Whoever agrees with this statement is an ignorant idiot.
BGONE MATT
Like, why cant we just move on and let Harambe rest in piece?
I agree with ya kid
I saw a report on the enclosure yesterday and it was said by someone who went to see it that is would have been very difficult to get in to the enclosure to the Gorilla because there were several barriers to get by to get in there. That child must have been gone for quite some time to get into a situation to see that Gorilla, which he wanted to do. Very Sad!
Exactly
False. A 3 foot railing with a wire cable threaded through the middle similar to a boxing ring and behind it a 3 foot bushed ledge that the child crawled through unable to see the 15ft drop. He flopped over the railing. One witness described. Thats how low this fence was. And the main witness in my opinion who has been the most truthful without adding all the bs tall tales said her husband reached over the railing to try and grab him before he tumbled over the tiny ledge and that he was going to jump down into the pit but she forbade him. Where you are getting these indiana jones stories as if the child went over a 1000 obstacles and gone for several minutes when but split seconds I don't know.
I agree