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Michelle Gregg, Cincinnati Zoo, Harambe, Lowland gorilla, Gorilla murdered, cincinnati zoo gorilla

Cincinnati Zoo Gorilla Murdered because Mom Wasn’t Watching Her Toddler

by Deborah Cruz

A Cincinnati zoo gorilla, Harambe, a majestic male Silverback lowland Gorilla (listed as critically endangered), was shot dead the day after his 17th birthday when a mother visiting the zoo lost track of her 4-year-old child. In a sad turn of events, the child got away from his mom and into the gorilla enclosure in front of a crowd of social media savvy a**holes (I know because they were all too busy tweeting video to actually help.) All because of one mom’s parental negligence.  Talk about a bad parenting moment. Thankfully her son is now resting safe and sound in the hospital with just a few scrapes and bruises. That’s the good news.

Who’s to blame for all of this? In my opinion, the mom. The toddler told his mom that he was going to go into the enclosure but she ignored his threats and that’s why I feel she’s responsible for the entire situation.  I realize that I’m being judgmental but how can I not be when not only was this woman not watching her child; more specifically, she chose to ignore his direct warning that he intended to do something dangerous.

Michelle Gregg, Cincinnati Zoo, Harambe, Lowland gorilla, Gorilla murdered, cincinnati zoo gorilla

If my toddler somehow ended up in the bottom of a Gorilla enclosure submerged in water with a 400 plus pound, super strong, unpredictable primate standing only inches above my child, I’d have grabbed the gun and shot the damn gorilla myself.

Who in the world let’s their toddler roam free out of sight long enough to shimmy under the clearly marked “Keep out” railings and wires of the enclosure, fall down the ravine and end up in the moat? She finally noticed that her child was in danger when other patrons started screaming? It had to take a minute for the child to escape her and make his way to the moat.

I took my girls to the zoo when they were toddlers and they were almost always strapped into their strollers as we maneuvered high traffic areas, unless they were in my arms or holding my hand. We’ve since moved past this barbaric practice; no zoos, circuses or Seas World’s for us. We go to sanctuaries, reserves, oceans and National Parks to see animals in their natural habitats.

Witnesses say the child, after being overheard telling his mother that he wanted to “get in the water”, then crawled through the railing, the bushes and fell 15-feet into the moat of the enclosure. Apparently, him telling her that he was going to do it wasn’t enough of a warning.

What’s wrong with this mom? Where was the little boy’s dad? Was anyone watching him? I’m normally of the mom and let mom parenting technique but willfully ignoring the threats of dangerous behavior ( in a dangerous place) could warrant a DCFS intervention.

Due to the negligence an innocent child was terrified and hurt and a Cincinnati Zoo Gorilla was shot and killed.

I watched many videos and read available reports on the situation. Everyone was rightfully terrified at the situation. Too bad the gorilla couldn’t be tranquilized rather than shot dead. But obviously, a human child’s life takes precedence over a gorilla’s. Zoo officials couldn’t very well stand around twiddling their thumbs while a child was drowned, mauled or crushed to death. A gorilla doesn’t know its own strength and could’ve easily seriously injured the child.

Tranquilizers could have caused the gorilla to become aggressive and hurt the child or fall on him in the interim as they waited for it to take effect. I get all of that. The thing is primates are highly intelligent animals and I think Harambe was just doing what came natural to him and he probably felt pretty scared when his handlers shot him.

I’m not a primate expert or a zoologist but it didn’t appear that he actually had any intention of hurting the child. It looked to me like he was trying to keep the baby safe until the child’s people came to collect him. I think the screaming and commotion was adding fuel to the fire and scaring both Harambe and the little boy. I think both the gorilla and the kid were both victims of this mother’s negligence.

This lady needs to be held responsible for her actions. She needs some parenting classes. I’m sure many of you think I sound like a cold-hearted witch but I watched the video (all of them) and I’m wondering why she is just standing on the sidelines screaming, “Mommy loves you!”

Lady, if you really loved your kid, maybe you should have kept your eye on him, strapped him in a stroller, held his hand and NOT let the kid wander off into the gorilla enclosure. Maybe you should have taken his warning that he was going to get into the water more seriously. That’s the part that really makes me feel like she was negligent.

I think most moms would have gone into mama bear beast mode and scaled that damn moat themselves and tried to save their baby or at the very least grabbed a zoo employee or maybe, I don’t know, sobbed at the thought of their baby possibly being beaten or killed by a gigantic primate. She did nothing…just like all the people who stood there and watched and recorded rather than actually help.

The little boy was taken to the Cincinnati Children’s hospital and is listed in stable condition after being manhandled for about 10 minutes by the gorilla. I think the bulk of the damage was probably done by the fall into the moat, the dragging around he endured while the gorilla became frightened from the screaming of the crowd or, I don’t know, the traumatization he will live with forever from seeing the giant gorilla murdered as it stood above him. Poor kid. Don’t worry kiddo your mommy loves you. She just doesn’t want to be bothered with watching you.

Word of advice if you can’t watch your kids, stay at home with the doors shut and try to keep your kids safe until they are old enough to take care of themselves. You suck! The Cincinnati zoo didn’t get the kid out of all the danger he’s facing by killing Harambe. After all, they aren’t  going home with the kid.

What did everyone think the gorilla was going to do? Eat the baby? They’re not carnivores. In my opinion, the parents’ negligence caused child endangerment.

Michelle Gregg, Cincinnati Zoo, Harambe, Lowland gorilla, Gorilla murdered, cincinnati zoo gorilla

What do you think about the endangered Cincinnati zoo gorilla being murdered in cold blood because a mom couldn’t be bothered to watch her child?

Summary
Cincinnati Zoo Gorilla Murdered because Mom Wasn't Watching Her Toddler
Article Name
Cincinnati Zoo Gorilla Murdered because Mom Wasn't Watching Her Toddler
Description
A horrific accident took place on Saturday at the Cincinnati zoo. Michelle Gregg and her family were visiting the gorilla enclosure when the unthinkable happened, her 4-year-old son escaped her sight and bolted into the gorilla enclosure. Landing 15 feet below in the silverback gorilla, Harambe's, grip in a moat as onlookers watched helplessly.
Author
Publisher Name
The TRUTH

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18 comments

None of your business 2016/05/29 - 11:43 pm

I think you should not judge, how dare you blame the mother. Were you there?! Stfu

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Deborah Cruz 2016/05/30 - 12:46 am

Dear none of your business,

I was not there. Were you? I am basing my opinion on reading several reports and articles from several different sources. I am also basing it on watching the video from every angle that I could find. I am entitled to my opinion, as you are to yours. Thanks for your opinion. See, I’m a grown up, I didn’t even tell you to STFU because I welcome open debate and I think adults can have different opinions because it is a free country and we are all entitled to free speech. Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a beautiful Monday.

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Amands 2016/05/30 - 2:46 am

As a mother of four, five year old son and 2 year old triplet girls, I feel for this mother. I don’t think I am perfect, I make mistakes. My son wondered off at a festival last weekend. I took my eyes off of him for 30 seconds to tend to one of my daughters and he was gone. Thankfully he had not got far but my heart sank until I spotted him. We are all human, we all make mistakes. I am sure you have made some too. You were not there, yes you read the articles and watched the videos but you were not there. This was a tragic accident. I am sure this poor mother is already beating herself up about this without having to read articles like this saying she is lazy and unfit and cps should take her child. I agree with you that everyone has their own opinion and mine is that you should keep your harsh judgemental opinions to yourself.

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Deborah Cruz 2016/05/30 - 9:17 am

I know mistakes are made. I am far from a perfect mom. I’ve made many mistakes. It was a tragic accident. However, my issue is not that an accident happened. It is that the child told the mother that he was going to get into the enclosure. I would have made sure then to be extra vigilant because little toddlers are fast and fearless. I would not have ignored his warning.That’s my issue. I am sure that she feels terrible and it’s not like I wrote this and sent it to her in the mail. She’s never going to read this blog post. I’m just glad that her son is okay and she has a second chance to learn from the momentary lapse in judgement ( at least I hope it was momentary). Thanks for your comment and I’m fine with you not agreeing with me. I’m glad she has moms who support her. She can take comfort in that and that’s something. Have a great day.

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S Troy Thomas 2016/05/30 - 7:10 am

Apparently you are Superparent…my wife and I have four four children and I can honestly say that when they were young, there were numerous times they escaped our very watchful eyes. It happens to the best parents, other than yourself obviously. Quit being such a self righteous bitch. This poor mother has to live with this, and she more than likely feels guilty enough already. What amazes me is idiots such as yourself that claim the gorilla was “murdered”….the gorilla, which is an animal, life does not carry the same value as a human being, specifically a 4 year old chil. You are probably a militant pro abortion lunatic that believes a woman should be allowed to have an abortion up until the day before birth, and at the same time believe an animals life should be saved at any and every cost…..you are a liberal fucktard.

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Jennifer 2016/05/30 - 8:38 am

I hope and pray your children are never in any kind of accident.. you weren’t there “oh, well, I read this, this and this. ” blah blah blah… eye witnesses were speaking out and the boy was so fast when he got away.. people were trying to get him.. it was an OPEN display.. I’m glad you live a perfect life.. quit judging others until you get the full story..

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Deborah Cruz 2016/05/30 - 9:23 am

Thanks for the prayers. I always welcome those. Yes and the witness directly next to the mom said that her and her husband watched the child climb through the shrubs, rails and wires to get to the enclosure but did nothing because they were in disbelief that it was really happening.It was an open display but he had to work at it and no one stopped him. Not the people who saw him and not his mom who was trying to get a pic. All I am saying is that if my child directly told me that they were going to attempt this , I would have made sure they were strapped in because toddlers are fearless and determined. I would have taken him seriously. I’m not perfect, not even close. I make parenting mistakes, we all do. It’s the way it was done because she chose to ignore his threat and turned away in spite of it.Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!

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Andie 2016/05/30 - 9:54 am

I personally think Debi is spot on! This is the Mother’s Fault!!! When you take your children to a very very crowded venue, you have to be more vigilant in keeping an eye on them!! The child is 4 AND had the time to crawl through not one but two barriers and his mother still didn’t notice? None of the articles or videos say she had multiple children, just the boy….. And she still wasn’t paying attention to that ONE child enough!! I’m a Mom, don’t get me wrong, 2 kids and yes sometimes one will run ahead….. What do I do? Grab the other, pop him on my hip and walk faster!!! My children are always within site even if they do, as children often do, run ahead!!! Witnesses say they heard the child say he wanted to go into the water and the mother still allowed the child to crawl through NOT ONE….. BUT TWO BARRIERS!! INSANE!! Now we have lost an extremely endangered Silverback to the negligence of a mother who maybe should of stayed home and let the telly watch her child. She should be held financially responsible for the putting down of that majestic gorilla, and the expensive of her own medical bills…… But ten to one she’s already got a lawyer to sue the zoo for a million dollars for medical and suffering…… And she’ll be on countless News’s specials talking about her “trauma”……. So in essence, she’ll be rewarded for ‘GREAT MOTHERING’ skills!!!

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sandy 2016/05/30 - 2:00 pm

I am appalled by how judgemental you are regarding a situation you didn’t witness and are only making random assumptions about. As a mother of 3 and grandmother of 7, I have witnessed many occasions where a 4 year old gets into a mess in the blink of an eye. Faulty the parent is ridiculous and nasty. Faulting the zoo for making the choice to save the child’s life is just plain crazy. Please find Jack Hanna’s interview with ABC news. He is an expert on gorilla behavior. You’re not. If it wasn’t for the diligent preservation efforts of zoos around the world we probably would have lost this species as as many others long ago. Your overall anti zoo stance is shortsighted and exhibits a lack of any effort for fact gathering. Your blog is an from the first word to the last uninformed, uneducated, inconsiderate desperate grab for attention. I hope for the sake of your children you pull yourself together.

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Heather 2016/05/30 - 5:24 pm

Congratulations on being the super-parent. I’m so glad that you’ve thwarted all dangers and questionable situations with your amazing super powers. God forbid something ever happen to your children where your magical abilities as mother are ever questioned.

Your solutions for this situation are ridiculous. What 4 year old rides in a stroller? My son has refused a stroller since he was 18 months old. Better yet, what parent would put a healthy child who is capable of walking, feeding himself, and using the bathroom on his own into a stroller for mere convenience? Children are fast. They’re sneaky. I have one. And I’ve taught several. From the articles I’ve read, mom was watching multiple children. The boy slipped away. He probably crawled under people and was able to slip through places mom could not, and before she realized it, he was in the gorilla habitat. Accidents happen, and it sucks. I just hope someone as judgmental as you is never the victim of one, as your super parent powers would surely be questioned.

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EMCMAHAN 2016/05/30 - 10:56 pm

Thank. You.

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i agree with you 2016/05/30 - 8:11 pm

I am definitely on board with you. Take away the argument of whether harambe should have been killed or tranqued. Humor me, if just for a moment. Also take away the argument of whether the mother was ignoring or watching her toddler. Her child was the cause of an “accident”. Shouldn’t she be held responsible for the damages?
Now, let’s add back that she was warned by the child that he was going into the enclosure. He was able to get through 3 (some reports say 2, some say 3) layers of protection that have been in place for 26 years and have never been breached. All the while unnoticed. After warning his mother he was going to do it.
Yes, I think the parents should be forced to make reparations for the money lost, and negative publicity the zoo is enduring.
I think it’s high time people become responsible for their actions again. Enough of this coddling of children and adults, alike.

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Holly 2016/05/31 - 3:45 am

I don’t normally comment on stuff like this, but this is out of control. Honestly, I really don’t care if you think it, you’re entitled to your opinion, but to publicly write that the child was able to do this because he has a “terrible mother” is insane. You obviously don’t have multiples, or boys for that matter, because it is IMPOSSIBLE to watch your children as vigilantly as you seem to think is a mother’s duty in your article. I am blown away by how you can think it is okay to condemn this mother on what I’m sure has been the worst day of her life. This is my worst nightmare. It stated that the woman had OTHER CHILDREN. She wasn’t just sipping a margarita while her kid decided to go play with gorillas. She was mothering another child, spread thin, and probably stressed out as I know I always am when I’m out with my kids alone. This was an ACCIDENT, not brought on by bad parenting, but the fact that it involves a kid with childlike rationale. How would you feel if something tragic happened to your family and bloggers on the internet decided to verbally crucify you and your parenting mistakes? Honestly, you should take this down. The hatred and judgement towards this mother is not what anyone needs, most of all, this poor mother and child. Shame on you for contributing to the long list of articles spewing hatred on this family.

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Sally 2016/05/31 - 2:38 pm

I can’t understand how someone can judge not only the mom for what happened but also claim that you know better than the zoo officials. This mom needs empathy and support not judgment, and eye witnesses said the zoo handled it very well. What if they had waiting or tranquilized and the boy died? Please be kind.

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MJ 2016/05/31 - 6:22 pm

I think it’s great that you have chosen to live your life unapologetically and I do agree that everyone has a right to their own opinion. However, when you voice such a strong opinion so pubically you put yourself at risk of being accused a residing on a very high horse. I hope and pray that an awful tragedy doesn’t or horrible accident doesn’t reek havoc on you as a parent, because these judgements might come back to haunt you. Best of luck to you.

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Deborah Cruz 2016/05/31 - 9:29 pm

I wrote this today after I got more information.

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Penni Goff 2016/05/31 - 6:53 pm

I blame the damn mother for this especially when the kid told her he was going in.
When my kids were little I watched them every damn second when at the Zoo etc.

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Deborah Cruz 2016/05/31 - 9:23 pm

Me too but apparently, I was told that I’m the weirdo who is abusing my children by helicoptering them.

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