Officials at the Cincinnati Zoo defended their decision to shoot a gorilla to protect a 4-year old boy who had fallen into the enclosure area, stating that they “would make the same decision” to shoot the animal if given the chance.
The boy had been dragged around by the gorilla, named Harambe, and was sitting between his legs when the gorilla was shot and killed.
The zoo said that it’s looking at possible changes to the enclosure, which is 3-feet high.
Thayne Maynard, director of the Cincinnati zoo, called the decision to shoot the gorilla difficult, but said that it was made only after the gorilla didn’t respond to a “special call” that ordered them inside, ABC News reports.
cinn Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, speaks during a news conference, Monday, May 30, 2016, in Cincinnati. AP Photo/John Minchillo
