Am I the only one who doesn't care about #JusticeForHarambe's death?

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study2016

Original post by MrsSheldonCooper

Why the hell didn't they tranquillise the gorilla? It's honestly so upsetting reading about it because gorillas can be very gentle with kids. If the kid went to hospital with non life threatening injuries then obviously the gorilla didn't do harm.

Are you being serious?

A 200kg wild animal violently pulled a 4 year old child through water of considerable depth. Let's take a risk assessment of that scenario:

1) The kid drowns as it gets hauled around the water
2) The kid bashes its head against any rocky protrusions found on the ground as it is being pulled across at significant speeds with significant force
3) The gorilla mangles the kid after being threatened by the screams/crying/resistance of the kid

"Why the hell didn't they transquilise the gorilla?" :facepalm:

Yeah. Let's agitate this wild behemoth made of pure muscle by tranquilizing it - an act which would result in almost certain death of the nearby child.

The zoo either tranquilizes the gorilla, thus risking the chance of it inflicting harm on the child as it gets agitated or they straight out shoot the gorilla so that they can save the child from any further harm.

It is unfortunate that the gorilla had been killed but it is the lesser of two evils.
I can imagine the huge social outcry and major lawsuits that would have arisen if the zoos had chosen to opt for the "tranquilizing" option that was likely to fail.

Reply 81

It's a Shame

The parents should claim all responsibility.

Reply 82

Bang Outta Order

Original post by Supersaps

Good accurate shooting. I'm glad the child wasn't hit by a stray round.

I disagree on the Gorilla being tranq'd, when someone's life is in danger, you don't mess around.

There are some serious questions about child-safety that need to be answered.

lmao

Reply 83

Asuna Yuuki

Original post by Wōden

I'm not even going to dignify that autistic nonsense with an answer. But I wonder how true you would hold to those principles if it was your child or a loved one in the gorilla enclosure?

What about if it was my pet in the hands of a dogfighting ring? I know I'd care more for the animal than the people there. There's a lot of what ifs. It wasn't my child and of course we're going to be more protective of our families.

And humans are hardly endangered are they.

Reply 84

math42

Original post by Asuna Yuuki

And humans are hardly endangered are they.

Why does endangerment make a difference? Why do we have to bring things to the level of the overall species? You are basically saying individual life is of relatively little significance, and it is all about the collective. If we're going to say that different species are equal, which I don't agree with anyway, but just for argument's sake, suppose the last 400 of a species die, and that species go extinct, how is it really more tragic than 400 of some other species dying? All I can think of is it that it permanently removes some potential for life in the future, but there are plenty of lives being lived by members of other species.

Animal life is valuable. If I was a more motivated/self-controlled person I would very much like to be vegetarian or vegan, and I hate unnecessary pain being caused to any animal. But I don't understand how someone can consider the life of any animal as equivalent to the life of a human, given the relative understanding and potential humans have. Maybe I haven't thought it through well enough, indeed, this isn't an issue I am steadfast on or have given a great deal of attention; maybe it is just innate self-species bias. But, as I've asked on the other thread, if you really think human life = animal life, where do you draw the line? Are humans equal to gorillas? Are they equal to pigs? Are they equal to mice? Are they equal to ants?

edit: By the way I dislike the thought of species going extinct too, but I can't think of a rationale other than "I like those animals", so I am wondering if you have one..

Reply 85

melinae

Original post by Asuna Yuuki

Well, thats questionable since this woman clearly didn't care much for her sons safety. :tongue:

I agree with you though.

Reply 86

Asuna Yuuki

Original post by melinae

Well, thats questionable since this woman clearly didn't care much for her sons safety. :tongue:

I agree with you though.

Yeah ~ like there's people saying "what if it were your family" but I'd never be negligent enough to let that happen in the first place omg

Reply 87

jess_12

The gorilla shouldn't have been in there in the first place, I see why they felt they had to shoot the gorilla and to be honest it was the kindest thing to do to put it out of its miserable life in captivity. Can't believe that in this day and age zoos are still actually a thing. Like seriously people, lets move on.
But I agree with the blame going to the parents, in a busy place like that , you don't take your attention off your 4 year old child for one second.

Reply 88

lolatmaths

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gorilla-shot-dead-cincinnati-zoo-after-child-climbs-enclosure-n582211
Initially spread lie that the gorilla violently dragged the baby

The gorilla should have been tranquilized and a sniper on stand so if it did go violent it would have been shot dead.

Reply 89

That Bearded Man

Original post by 1 8 13 20 42

Compared with a baby yes, but that doesn't extend to all humans necessarily.

Anders Breivik or the last Panda in the world?

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Reply 90

math42

Original post by That Bearded Man

Compared with a baby yes, but that doesn't extend to all humans necessarily.

Anders Breivik or the last Panda in the world?

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Fair point, I had been thinking too much on those with their lives ahead of them as it was a child in this case.

Reply 91

Reeeeyah

Why does blame have to be placed at all? it's a tragedy all around and I don't see how laying blame here really helps anything :s-smilie:

As for the parents not supervising or watching their child, it is amazing what a child can accomplish in even a split second of not being watched.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 92

hezzlington

Original post by Reeeeyah

Why does blame have to be placed at all? it's a tragedy all around and I don't see how laying blame here really helps anything :s-smilie:

As for the parents not supervising or watching their child, it is amazing what a child can accomplish in even a split second of not being watched.

Agreed.

We really need to move on though.

This sort of thing is really rare despite millions of visitors and ofcourse zoos take appropriate preventative measures for this sort of thing but once in a while, it happens. The zoo keepers responded with the upmost professionalism and I don't doubt for a minute it was a painful split second decision to make.

As for the mother, I don't think it's her fault. The last thing she would of wanted to happen is for her child to be torn to pieces in front of her.

Could it of been avoided? Well erm maybe but most tragedies can be avoided...hindsight eh

Chin up guys.

Reply 93

RobML

Original post by thunder_chunky

This. Followed by the parents.

You get extra edge points for that skull avatar

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Reply 94

RobML

Original post by 1 8 13 20 42

My thoughts exactly. It also amuses me how people suggest that letting pandas go extinct would cruel and inhumane, as if they all operate on some Borg-like collective consciousness.
Suffering occurs on an individual level.

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Reply 95

RobML

Original post by Asuna Yuuki

Why?

Do you think the life of a gorilla is more important than that of a worm?

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Reply 96

dmy15

Everyone screaming 'child neglect!' 'animal cruelty!' are probably the same people who sympathise with the mccans and their daughter's 'disappearance', and eat ham sandwiches on a regular.

Reply 97

banterboy

Original post by inhuman

Shouldn't their first priority be to keep their animals safe?

Apparently the kid was in there for quite a long time, why not just tranq him, yea sure it takes time, but the time it took for you to make the decision to kill him was surely longer.