Cincinnati Zoo Re-Opens Its Gorilla Exhibit with Improved Safety Precautions

On May 28, the 3-year-old boy got away from his mother and climbed over the barrier into the exhibit.

The new fence around the animal’s habitat, which is 42 inches higher than the old one, features wood beams on the top and bottom with rope netting in between. In addition to the barriers, three additional surveillance cameras have been installed.

Media outlets were up in arms about who should take the blame and reap the consequences of a three-year-old boy ending up in a gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo, which ultimately resulted in the killing of the gorilla, Harambe.

“I was concerned they might close the exhibit altogether”, she said.

“It was shocking to hear something like that happen at this zoo, because we know that they have such good safety measures here”, she said.

The gorilla dragged the child through the enclosure.

The family said the decision by Mr Deters not to seek charges “is one more step in allowing us to put this tragic episode behind us”.

Deters said the zoo lost a “beautiful animal” that was beloved “but it’s still an animal”.

The prosecutor said he has been surprised by the reaction to the gorilla’s death, although the zoo had suffered a great loss. “Their caretakers have been telling us that they’re fine, but seeing them go about their usual routine this morning made all of us feel better”, said Maynard. It focused strictly on “the actions of the parents/family that led up to the incident and [is] not related to the operation or safety of the Cincinnati Zoo”. The USDA, which inspects the zoo annually, will look into whether the facility was in compliance with federal laws that monitor the treatment of animals in research and exhibition. “Incidents like this are very rare, and the AZA Accreditation Commission will continue working with our members so that AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums remain safe for the 183 million guests who visit each year”. News stories displayed here appear in our category for US Headlines and are licensed via a specific agreement between LongIsland.com and The Associated Press, the world’s oldest and largest news organization.

“Unfortunately, accidents happen, but the goal of the criminal law is not to punish someone for accidents, even if the ultimate result is tragic”, Larry Cunningham, associate dean of St. John’s University School of Law, said by email.