And therein lies the problem

There’s been a lot said this week about the death of a 17 year old Silverback Gorilla (an endangered animal) at the hands of the Cincinnati Zoo to save a 4 year old child.  That’s the headline, without all the hyperbole.   It’s a tragedy, but it’s also gripped the world.   The tag #JusticeforHarambe quickly trended.  People were outraged that the beautiful animal was the victim.  I agree and I feel horrible that this majestic creature died.  However, I fully support the zoo’s quick (and likely heartbreaking) action to end Harambe’s life to save the child.  No, for no reason should a child die at the hands of an animal, which without malice could kill the child through basic animal actions.  A tranquilizer likely would have taken longer to work, putting the boy in more danger.  It was a call, they prepare for this, and it was ultimately the right call.

I’ve watched people on both sides of the coin throw meme’s and articles up on facebook.  From memes of the gorilla saying “why shoot me, I was doing a better job of watching him than his mother” to “we should empathize with the mother”.  I’m somewhere in the middle of this.  No, Harambe wasn’t “careful” with the child and it was a much different scenario from when an unconscious 3 year old child fell into a Gorilla enclosure previously to be nurtured and cared for by a female (mother instinct) gorilla.  Harambe was panicked, and his actions were entirely unpredictable.  The boy was in mortal danger from the moment he fell into the pit until Harambe was dead. 

I’m trying not to judge the mother.  I wasn’t there; I don’t know exactly what happened.  I can’t imagine the terror she experienced when she looked around for her child, missing, then to discover he was in the moat, with that beautiful but deadly animal.  I can’t imagine the 10 minutes of sheer terror she had to survive, hoping her child survived.  My heart, as a mother, aches for her, for that agony she survived. 

And that’s where I was with the whole thing.  Saddened by the loss of Harambe, proud of the zoo for taking the difficult but right steps to save the child and empathetic to what the mother went through.  Then the following article came out:  HuffPo Article

And the following was printed and it just about set me ablaze.

“Think about the parents who have forgotten about a child in a carseat on a hot summer day. A mom who walked away from the bathtub for 3 minutes, and came back to a lifeless child. A dad who forgot to read an ingredient label and gave his child a food containing his severe allergy.  Mistakes happen.”

Wait, WHAT?  I ache for the parents who lose a child.  I’ve fortunately never experienced it and am incredibly grateful for it … but seriously, who walks away from a bathtub for 3 minutes with a child in it?  What is more important than your child?  Who DOESN’T know EXACTLY what goes into your child’s body when they have a severe food allergy?  That’s not a mistake, that’s negligent.  Yes, I can feel for the parent who loses a child, but I can also judge them negligent in their actions if it leads to their death!  Where is the personal responsibility to protect your child?  Where’s the ever-loving common sense?!?!?!?!?

It’s true; I don’t know what happened at the Cincinnati Zoo.  Maybe she was on her phone, maybe distracted by another child, maybe her crafty little guy slipped away in a crowd.  But ultimately SHE is responsible for the safety of her child, and as a result of her lack of diligence, Harambe is dead.  The Zoo also needs to look at how her child managed to get in and plug that epic safety gap.  Yes, this is a call to improve safety, and even (yep I’m going there) reconsider the benefit of keeping these beautiful and deadly animals in captivity for our entertainment, enjoyment, and viewing pleasure.   I’m torn, I love zoos and aquariums, but more and more, we’re seeing the negative impact on the animals kept in these facilities.  It’s causing me to rethink and reevaluate my feelings on it.  However, as a mother, of two little mischievous monkey boys as well, we as parents HAVE to accept responsibility for our children.  I won’t fill up your facebook wall with my thoughts on this, I have my blog and can say my peace here, but instead of simply posting the funnier meme or more heartbreaking story, why not look at what went wrong (safety around animal enclosures) and see what we can do to fix them.  Let’s not let Harambe die in vain, let something come of this, better safety for animals and humans!