Anybody who’s been following the news will no doubt have heard about Harambe, the 17-year-old silverback gorilla who was shot dead by zookeepers after a four-year-old boy fell 15ft into his enclosure. Cincinnati Zoo stood by its decision to kill the animal and argued that the boy’s life was in danger, but a new video has emerged appearing to show the 400lb gorilla holding hands with the boy prior to being shot. What do you think?
The incident has caused widespread outrage among animal rights activists who insist that Harambe was showing no aggression towards the child. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have criticized the zoo’s lack of a second protective barrier around Harambe’s habitat and almost 300,000 people have signed a petition to punish the parents for allowing their child to enter the enclosure in the first place. Whoever is responsible, there’s no denying that what happened was a tragedy. RIP Harambe.