Family: Boy who fell into gorilla exhibit 'doing just fine'
Update, Wednesday morning: A 3-year-old boy was examined further by his doctor after falling into a Cincinnati Zoo gorilla enclosure Saturday. The incident resulted in the shooting and killing a gorilla to ensure the boy's safety, zoo officials said.
In a statement from the boy's family released Wednesday morning, the family said the boy is "still doing well."
"We continue to praise God for His grace and mercy, and to be thankful to the Cincinnati Zoo for their actions taken to protect our child," the family said in the statement. "We are also very appreciative for the expressions of concern and support that have been sent to us. Some have offered money to the family, which we do not want and will not accept.
"If anyone wishes to make a gift, we recommend a donation to the Cincinnati Zoo in Harambe’s name.”
A family spokeswoman said the family is still declining all interview requests.
Earlier reporting: A statue outside the temporarily closed Gorilla World became a makeshift memorial Sunday. Visitors left flowers and cards in honor of Harambe, the gorilla shot and killed Saturday after a 3-year-old boy fell into a shallow moat surrounding the Cincinnati Zoo's gorilla exhibit.
The boy, who has not been identified, was released from Cincinnati Hospital Medical Center on Saturday night.
The boy's family said he is "doing just fine" and thanked zoo staff for their quick action, in a statement released through Gail Myers Public Relations LLC.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks for the quick action by the Cincinnati Zoo staff," the statement read. "We know that this was a very difficult decision for them, and that they are grieving the loss of their gorilla.”
The statement did not identify the family or the boy.
The boy climbed through the barrier around the gorilla enclosure just before 4 p.m. Saturday, then fell 12 feet into the moat surrounding the exhibit.
On videos posted to social media, zoo visitors can be heard screaming. People can be heard yelling "stay calm" and "somebody call the zoo." One woman shouts "mommy loves you."
Harambe, a 17-year-old, 450-pound western lowland gorilla, stood over the boy.
Two female gorillas were also in the enclosure but they responded to zookeepers' calls to leave the exhibit.
One witness said the Harambe initially seemed protective of the boy but was alarmed by the screaming.
Videos posted on social media show the animal drag the boy through the moat before disappearing from view.
First responders saw Harambe "violently dragging and throwing the child," according to the Cincinnati Fire Department.
Fearing for the child's life, the zoo's dangerous animal response team shot and killed Harambe, according to Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
Maynard said though Harambe didn't attack the child, the animal's size and strength posed a great danger. "In an agitated situation, it may take quite a while for the tranquilizer to take effect," he said, "At the instant he would be hit, he would have a dramatic response."
The fire department said the boy was in between the gorilla's legs at the time of the shot.
The zoo's response team includes full-time keepers, veterinarians, maintenance, zoo leadership and security staff. Members are trained and certified annually by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
Maynard said Saturday that no visitor has breached the exhibit in its 38-year history.
Gorilla World, which opened in 1978, is inspected regularly by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and the United States Department of Agriculture, zoo officials said.
Maynard said his staff will study this incident and work toward continuous improvement for the safety of visitors and animals.
In a statement issued Sunday, a primatologist with animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said the zoo’s enclosure should have been surrounded by a “secondary barrier” to better separate humans from the gorillas.
“This tragedy is exactly why PETA urges families to stay away from any facility that displays animals as sideshows for humans to gawk at,” the primatologist, Julia Gallucci, said in the statement.
Gallucci’s statement continued: “Even under the ‘best’ circumstances, captivity is never acceptable for gorillas or other primates, and in cases like this, it's even deadly.”
In January, the zoo announced plans for a new gorilla habitat. The $12 million greenhouse expansion will double the size of the current exhibit and offer a naturalistic setting.
The indoor facility would also allow offer views of the gorillas year-round. It could open as early as next year. Maynard said Saturday's incident would not end the gorilla program, but the zoo has not commented on whether it has affected plans for the expansion.
On Sunday, the zoo was open and many visitors laid flowers at gorilla statue near the exhibit.
Tony and Melisa Bruce, of Delhi Township, were among the zoo visitors who stopped by the makeshift memorial Sunday afternoon.
“Parents just aren’t paying attention to what’s going on,” said Tony Bruce. He said he’d seen a parent encourage a child to climb up a post at the cheetah exhibit earlier that day.
“It’s just heartbreaking all the way around,” Melisa Bruce said. “I do feel that the zoo did what they felt they had to do, unfortunately.”
Like Tony Bruce, many commenters on social media criticized the boy's parents. Some even called for charges against the boy's parents.
Cincinnati Police Department spokesman Lt. Steve Saunders said police are not considering charging the boy's parents.
A Facebook group called Justice for Harambe gathered more than 7,500 "likes" in less than a day.
"This page was created to raise awareness of Harambe's murder," the page states. "We wish to see charges brought against those responsible!"
A Change.org petition was created Sunday morning by a user named Shelia Hurt also called for action against the boy's parents. By Sunday evening, the petition had gathered more than 17,500 signatures.
A second petition asked state legislators to hold zoo visitors legally accountable if their actions result in harm or death of an endangered animal.
Plans for a memorial vigil at the zoo from noon to 2 p.m. Monday were announced on Facebook, as well. Organizers said they do not want the event to be a protest against the zoo, but instead reflect compassion for the loss.
Reporter Kevin Grasha contributed.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to say the boy is 3 years old. Police said late Tuesday they had received "conflicting reports" on the boy's age but confirmed Tuesday that he is 3.