Last Saturday, the Cincinnati Zoo's Dangerous Animal Response Team was forced to shoot and kill a critically-endangered gorilla after it began dragging a 4-year old boy who had fallen into the exhibit.
After the boy climbed through a public barrier and fell into a moat, 17-year old Harambe, a male gorilla, grabbed the child and began violently dragging and throwing him around.
Joining us by phone to discuss the incident and how zoos respond to such emergency situations is the Executive Director and CEO of the Detroit Zoo, Ron Kagan. Mr. Kagan is also on the advisory committee of the Detroit Zoological Society’s Center for Zoo Animal Welfare.