Seattle Zoo Delays Debut Of Baby Gorilla Over Cincinnati Shooting

The Associated Press
5/31/2016
Updated:
5/31/2016

SEATTLE—A Seattle zoo is delaying the public debut of a baby gorilla following the killing of an adult gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo after a child entered its exhibit.

The Woodland Park Zoo had initially scheduled Wednesday as the public debut of Yola, a 6-month-old western lowland gorilla.

Zoo officials say the delay is “out of respect for our colleagues at Cincinnati Zoo.” A new debut date will be announced later.

(Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo)
(Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo)

On Saturday, a 4-year-old boy entered the gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo where a 17-year-old gorilla named Harambe grabbed him

Zoo officials decided to kill the gorilla to free the boy. The boy was released from the hospital later that day.