Animal experts defend zoo’s decision to shoot gorilla after it grabbed four-year-old boy

Animal experts have defended the zoo keepers’ decision to shoot the endangered gorilla when it grabbed the four-year-old. Experts have argued the gorilla could have killed a child with one strike.

Dr Sharon Redrobe, chief executive of Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire, said zoo officials would be “heartbroken” by the decision to kill the animal but would be confident they did the right thing.

She said: “The zoo keepers had a life and death situation on their hands and they would have known the behaviour of that animal better than anyone.

“The fact they left the situation for 10 minutes before firing the final shot shows they would have tried everything they could to get the male gorilla to enter the inside enclosure away from the boy.

“In the footage I have seen the animal was clearly becoming more agitated and zoo officials need to make quick assessments.

“The scenario was very similar to a live hostage situation with humans, any sudden movement or wrong decision and we could have had a very different result.

“Tranquillizing the gorilla with a dart just simply wouldn’t have worked in this situation.

“It would have taken up to 10 minutes to take affect and the animal may have become violent which would have had catastrophic consequences.

“However tragic to lose one of nature’s greatest animals I applaud the work of the zoo staff for saving the life of that little boy.”

Pete Wedderburn, a vet with more than 25 years experience, said: “Gorillas are so strong, one sudden movement would have broken the child’s back or killed him.

“The animal was clearly already in a stressful environment with the people screaming above him and there were too many risks involved.”