I keep watching the video and what I see continues to enrage and makes me cry. There is little doubt to me that Harambe rescued the little boy from the water and when the mob continued to scream, he took him to safety. He put his body between those people and the boy to protect him from danger. At no time did the boy feak out and at one point he was holding Harambe’s hand. And as they say, no good deed goes unpunished and this gentle herbivore was murdered. It has bothered me so much I just had to write it out of my head.

I know most people would object to me using that word in reference to the shooting of an animal but I stand by it, especially in this case. Isaiah wasn’t in danger and anyone who knows gorillas would know that. The only time that they get aggressive is when threatened. If a male human had of jumped in, then there would be cause for concern. These are gentle creatures. FYI? They eat leaves.

Why is the go-to solution to issues is usually guns?
Why do so many people automatically think that violence is the way to fix a problem? Is it because in truth we are low on the food chain?

It is infuriating how so many people are saying we shouldn’t point fingers, that it was an unfortunate situation. I call bull shit. Why is it that when we fuck up it is always the animal that pays the price? That was a mess from start to finish and people should step up and take responsibility. We go on and on about how young people don’t take it, well how the hell are they supposed to learn when the adults around them shrug their shoulders and say, “Oh well, it was an unfortunate situation.”?

• The mother should have had better control of her child, period. He even told her he wanted to “swim with the gorilla”.
• The crowd screaming on and on only served to agitate the event.
• The zoo keepers panicked, pure and simple, probably because of all the screaming. They didn’t use their brains, only their guns. Harambe was born and raised by zoo-keepers, they had a strong relationship with him. They could have tried to de-escalate the situation. He was obviously confused, he didn’t know what he was supposed to do this this “thing”. Just before they shot, he turned from the boy and looked up at the people he trusted, likely looking for guidance. They didn’t even try.
• The zoo should have had the damn enclosure better secured, they owed those animals protection.

However I don’t want to add my voice to the hysterics that are attacking the parents. Seriously. Bringing up the their prison record, calling on social services to investigate? I got to say, that is smelling like racism to me. Parents of all colours screw up. Gawd, what is wrong with you people? Stones and glass houses and all that. Smarten up people, that is really messed up. I just want them to say sorry and lets move on.

The crowd continues with their hysteria, one side against the other and because no one feels listened to, the emotionality keeps ratcheting up. I get that people are protective of their young. That is natural and necessary for the survival of the species. But we need to use our brains that we are so damn proud of and clearly assess a situation before hauling out the artillery and destroying a beautiful creature who didn’t want to be there in the first place.

Further, we put our dogs on leashes, mostly to protect them from being idiots and getting themselves run over. So why do so many parents freak out about putting their kids on leashes? You don’t like the word leash and child in the same sentence? Fine, how about tethering? I don’t care what you call it, just use the damn thing. Seriously. Four year olds are idiots and have no sense of self preservation. Geez.

So here is some videos to watch about other gorilla/child encounters. They ended well for both the gorilla and the child. As much as I searched I couldn’t find one where the child was killed.

In 1996 Binti, a gorilla in the Brookfield zoo, is credited with saving a child’s life he jumped/fell into her enclosure. It is amusing that the humans took most of the credit…. as usual. Binti rescues child 1996

In Jambo guarded a boy (why oh why is it always a boy? Likely because girls have more sense) who jumped into the enclosure from the pack who were circling him and then led the pack away from him so rescuers could rapelle down. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3406830/I-m-forever-thankful-Jambo-gone-one-two-ways-Man-protected-huge-gorilla-fell-enclosure-boy-relives-dramatic-moment-30-years-says-t-wait-kids-there.html

Thanks for reading. If you want to weigh in please feel free to comment, respectfully.