On May 28, 2016, tragedy struck, when a three-year-old boy fell into a gorilla cage inhabited by a 440-pound male silverback, named Harambe. Inside the Cincinnati Zoo, chaos ensued, as the mother of the child panicked, horrified by the gorilla dragging her son by the arm and leg across the enclosure. Harambe had climbed down to investigate the child who was stuck in the corner of the moat, simply wishing to inquire about what was occurring. In the end, Harambe was tragically killed, as the zookeepers did not wish to chance a child’s life. While it was a tough and appalling decision, we as a society can now conclude that it was the correct one, as a human beings’ life should be saved at any expense.
Animals have been known to act out before, especially when someone unknown enters their living quarters. In this instance, zookeepers made the decision to fatally shoot Harambe, as the Zoo-Director, Thane Maynard, stated, “It was a life-threatening situation and the silverback gorilla is a very dangerous animal”. I strongly agree with this statement, as the child was clearly in harm’s way, and when a life is at risk, it is best to be sure to save it, to protect our own species. The gorilla may or may not have had poor intentions, but in any instance with a child in danger, it is best to not find out, to play it safe instead of risking a three-year-old boys’ life. Also, who would have known the animal better than the zookeepers, the ones that trained and grew up with the animals,
With the extinction of many animals and the changing environment due to human activities, conservation methods should be put into action to save the earth and its residents. With so many negative things happening to the environment it is possible that the earth and its resources could run out in the next few generations. One species, the mountain gorillas, contribute greatly to the well being of the earth and needs to be saved. Being the destroyers of the earth, I believe that it our duty to find a way repent for our negligence to our neighbors and environment.
On Saturday, May 28, 2016, Harambe a very rare silverback gorilla was shot and killed at Cincinnati Zoo. A three year old boy climbed through the railings, at his own risk, and down a fifteen foot drop into Harambe’s secluded enclosure. The gorilla was then seen picking up the boy and dragging him into the water. The boy suffered injuries but mainly from the fall. The question that has been taking over the internet and news stations, should the gorilla have been shot and killed to get the young child out of there to safety?
Many zoo animals are not provided with the sufficient care and attention. There have been various reports of abuse and neglection toward the animals. In some cases people were able to capture videos of these terrible actions, and were able to use them as evidence to show the authorities and audience who are not aware of these atrocious events occurring. In the article,Undercover Investigations Reveal Abuse of Tiger Cubs at Roadside Zoos, the author revealed the different ways the owners of a roadside zoo would abuse the tiger cubs.For example,”At Tiger Safari,Maximus , a white tiger cub was dragged, choked, tossed and suspended by his legs and tail ”(Amini). This quote from the article describes to the reader in
- Zoo’s take on the duty to honor animal rights given that they have taken responsibility for the animal. This means that zoo’s must work to avoid pain and seek to bring the animals pleasure. An “informed empathy” (having a reverence for all life) is the basis for our ethical standard in how we treat animals. Going against this ethical basis in zoo’s is only acceptable when there is a threat to human life. Callicott will be brought in here yet again, to discuss how we have a duty of care for animals and that zoo animals are our creations, so we must treat them ethically.
Do you think that shooting a harmless animal is okay? On May 28, 2016 a three year old boy fell into Harambe, a 420 pound Silverback gorilla’s, den. Zoo officials quickly decided to shoot Harambe to “save” the little boy, although he was in no danger. I think Harambe should not have gotten killed because according to experts he was not aggressive towards people, and also he was used to humans.Also I think that the place he lived should have been fully enclosed. Lastly, instead of shooting the gorilla, I think they should have used a tranquilizer gun.
The captivity of primates in zoos can be viewed as maltreatment by animal welfare organizations since confining them in such establishments is going against their rights to be liberated and it may cause some unwanted stress, yet zoos provide various enrichment programs, medicinal assistance, scheduled meals that are appropriate for the primate’s diet, and conservation of the said animal. Primate captivity in zoos can be regarded as both moral and unethical for it imprisons primates, however, as their natural habitat dwindles, zoos also preserve primate population through captive breeding. Furthermore, zoos simultaneously deform the lives of the primates, garner sympathetic reactions from humans for these creatures, and inform
The next morning, another zoo was scheduled to dissect a young lion and made it a part of their “animals inside out”. “Euthanizing” was their reason to control population. But the funny thing is that neither had to dissected a mammal larger than a rat. In 2014 not that long after Marius the giraffe was shot at the previous zoo. A British zoo professional had a talk with Bengt Holst the zoo’s scientific director. The professor asked Holst “What the fuck were you thinking?”. Zoo directors in the U.S. and Europe have a job with other unknown employs. Just to discuss with people who run the amusement parks and art
Most people go to zoos with the expectation of a happy family and enjoying a day staring at wild animals that we do not see very often except of a screen. They see zoos as a place to experience something different and to take their children to. However, few people know of the mistreatment and unfit conditions the animals are forced into. On the contrary to popular belief, there are many zoos that care so little for the health of the animals the zoos are actually the reason the animals become ill. For the truth is that animals in zoos are mistreated, neglected, and even abused because of the awful situations they are in. In this essay, then, we will go over the excruciating conditions and the abuse these animals face everyday of their lives
Throughout modern history, parents have often taken their children to the zoo or circus to go see wild animals that they might not otherwise see in person. This practice is viewed as an innocent and exciting way to teach little ones about the animal kingdom. However, the child is introduced to the idea that animals, no matter how large or deadly, are for the entertainment of humans and should be treated as such. Zoos are only one example of how humans are practically in direct control of the fate of wild animals. Even in the wild, animals are left to the mercy of humans due to our insatiable desire to carry on expanding as Jon Mooallem illustrates in his magazine article, “What’s a Monkey to Do in Tampa?”. According to, Mark Prigg for
The zoo is a popular place for families and people of all ages to visit, especially, in the Chicagoland area, where our two zoos: Brookfield and Lincoln Park, are a favorite for families to visit all year long. However, there is a controversy over zoos: whether they’re humane or not. For example, in 2016, Harambe, a gorilla, was killed at the Cincinnati Zoo after a three-year-old child climbed into the enclosure. Harambe sparked debate over whether animals should be held in captivity and the standard of care at zoos.
The expansion of civilization and advancement in technology has always been seen as betterment to the populations of the world. With this advancement we are finding that many more animal habitats are being threatened and often times destroyed, leading to the decline and in most severe cases the extinction of species. Among the World Wildlife Foundation’s endangered species list there are sixteen critically endangered species, three of those sixteen are gorillas. I will be addressing the condition of the Mountain Gorilla, a species that was predicted to “…be extinct by the end of the twentieth century” (WWF), but through a struggle for survival and with the intervention of man is expanding in population. I will be discussing the human factors that are causing the possible extinction of this species, future preventative steps that can be taken to protect these animals, and the importance of the protection of this species, as well as the importance of the protection of all primate species.
Some people may argue that zoos are good for sick or injured animals; however, while they can help nurture babies and bring sick creatures back to health, they are not safe for healthy animals. Dr. Lesley Dickey estimates that every year about 3,000 to 5,000 animals are ‘management euthanized’ in European zoos (Barnes). This means that zoos put down animals if there is not enough space for them. This is called zoo culling. Some zoos even dissect animals in front of guests that they killed. Zoos are for caring for animals, there is no place for cruelty. Although most zoos don’t kill surplus animals, that doesn’t make them innocent. Some animals don’t live as long in zoos as they do in the wild. The median life span in European zoos for African
There are many accidents in which children are involved, that occur every day. Recently, there have been two that have made a strong impact throughout the country. Many parents have made mistakes of letting their children wander free without double-checking their surroundings for anything that could potentially harm their child. In these cases, this wasn’t necessarily the problem. While the Harambe incident and the Disney Alligator incident both involved children, a wild animal, and at least one death; they differ in enviroment, their animal species, and the responses that came after the accident.
The gorilla, fighting after the manner of its kind, struck terrific blows with its open hand, and tore the flesh at the boy’s throat and chest with its mighty tusks.” – Burroughs, p. 42
Dian helped us connect even more to the foreign primates by focusing on the different habits of mother, baby, and adolescent gorillas. Giving each gorilla a name, Fossey helped us almost humanize the animals through her vivid descriptions of their personality and behavior. She showed us that gorilla mothers protect, care for, and discipline their infants. Gorilla babies develop much the same ways humans do; acquiring skills as they age. Adolescents can be just as curious as they are mischievous. Fossey's work helps replace the image of the gorilla as a ferocious animal into one that is kind, gentle, and more human-like that we had never known.