Witness at Zoo Said Gorilla Was ‘Protecting’ the Child

Eula Ray, of Hamilton, whose son is a curator for the zoo, touches a sympathy card beside a gorilla statue outside the Gorilla World exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Sunday, May 29, 2016. AP Photo/John Minchillo

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The animal was later shot dead with a rifle. 

“We are heartbroken about losing Harambe [the gorilla], but a child’s life was in danger and a quick decision had to be made by our Dangerous Animal Response Team,” Zoo Director Thane Maynard said in a statement.

Maynard said that tranquilizing the gorilla was not an option because it would take time for the drug to go into effect, and it might agitate the gorilla in the meantime, endangering the child.