{"id":214993,"date":"2023-10-02T23:32:31","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T23:32:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestwnews.com\/?p=214993"},"modified":"2023-10-02T23:32:31","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T23:32:31","slug":"family-of-boy-who-fell-into-harambes-enclosure-were-forced-go-into-hiding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestwnews.com\/world-news\/family-of-boy-who-fell-into-harambes-enclosure-were-forced-go-into-hiding\/","title":{"rendered":"Family of boy who fell into Harambe\u2019s enclosure were forced \u2018go into hiding\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
A family were forced to go into hiding after their son fell into a gorilla\u2019s enclosure, resulting in zoo staff killing the animal.<\/p>\n
A three-year-old boy climbed into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. The child was then grabbed and dragged by Harambe, a western lowland gorilla.<\/p>\n
Fearing for the child\u2019s life, staff shot and killed the 17-year-old gorilla. The death made headlines around the world, as Harambe became an internet sensation.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Baseball fan takes 'sweet natured' emotional support alligator to game \u2013 gets turned away <\/b><\/p>\n
For more animal-related content from the Daily Star click here.<\/b><\/p>\n
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Many people declared the death unnecessary, wondering why a non-lethal response could not have been utilised. Others blamed the child and his family for being \u201ccareless\u201d.<\/p>\n
Following backlash, three-year-old Isaiah Dickerson\u2019s family were forced to go \u2018into hiding\u2019. The family feared for their safety after receiving death threats from the public.<\/p>\n
The story is discussed in a new feature-length documentary which came out on September 24 \u2013 to tie with World Gorilla Day, as reported by LadBible. <\/p>\n
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The documentary explores what happened to Harambe and animals in captivity in general. They also explore the failings that led to the horrific incident \u2013 including the three-foot barrier that stood between the gorilla and the public.<\/p>\n
Photographer Jeff McCurry, who was responsible for the viral snap of Harambe, said: \u201cChildren tried to get into that so often. I had a standard speech that I gave to their parents when I would stop them from whatever they were doing that was dangerous.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would tell them, \u2018We\u2019re not worried about the gorilla killing your kid \u2013 that's a 13ft fall to a cement floor. Your child is gonna die when it hits the floor'. But I mean, that was every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
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But while the USDA found the zoo barriers were not safe, the outcry was against the mother of the little boy.<\/p>\n
Despite the USDA ruling that the zoo barriers were not up to scratch. The family took the brunt of the backlash.<\/p>\n
Narrator Pete Egan explains: \u201cPetitions, death threats, local harassment by the public and terrible memes were used to express people\u2019s anger about Harambe\u2019s death.<\/p>\n
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\u201cBut this anger was misplaced and ruined the family\u2019s life \u2013 forcing them off social media, and into living in hiding to keep Isaiah and his siblings safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the time of the backlash, Dickeron\u2019s mother Michelle Gregg took to Facebook to urge others not to \u2018judge\u2019.<\/p>\n
She wrote in a post that was later deleted: \u201cAs a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off a child. Accidents happen, but I am thankful that the right people were in the right place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters also felt at the time that the case didn\u2019t meet the legal definition of child endangerment after the woman\u2019s son fell into the exhibit while she attended to her three other kids.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThat parent must recklessly create a substantial risk to the health or safety of the child,\u201d he said in a press conference.<\/p>\n
Deters argued that the mother was neither reckless nor negligent \u2013 something many others have agreed with since.<\/p>\n
McCurry added: \u201cIt was not their fault. You know, crazy stuff happens and it happened to them, but it\u2019s not their fault.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just hope they don\u2019t feel blamed because they\u2019re not at blame, or at fault, at all \u2013 in any way.\u201d<\/p>\n
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