Mother says ‘accidents happen’, as zoo director defends killing gorilla to save her boy

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Flowers and other tribute lay around a bronze statue of a gorilla and her baby outside the Cincinnati Zoo's Gorilla World exhibit on Monday, two days after a boy tumbled into its moat and officials were forced to kill Harambe, a Western lowland gorill. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:42am, 31 May 2016Updated: 7:47am, 31 May 2016

The Cincinnati Zoo’s director on Monday defended the decision to kill a gorilla to protect a 4-year-old boy who entered its exhibit, while the boy’s mother said she should not be blamed because “accident happen”.

The male western lowland gorilla named Harambe was killed Saturday by a special zoo response team that feared for the boy’s safety. Video taken by zoo visitors showed the gorilla at times appeared to be protective of the boy but also dragged him through the shallow moat.

As a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off of their child and if anyone knows me I keep a tight watch on my kids

Michelle Gregg, mother of boy who fell into gorilla enclosure

Michelle Gregg, who identified herself on social media as the boy’s mother, said that her son was doing well, except for a concussion and “a few scrapes”.

A video screenshot shows Harambe kneeling over the boy after he fell into the gorilla enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo on Saturday. Photo: YouTube

She used a Facebook post to defend herself against suggestions that she was to blame for Harambe’s death, by failing to properly supervise her boy.

“As a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off of their child and if anyone knows me I keep a tight watch on my kids,” she said.

“Accidents happen but I am thankful that the right people were in the right place today.”