Every parent knows that even under the most watchful of eyes, children will find a way to get themselves into tricky situations, and yet many seem to be missing this very point when it comes to discussions about the events at the Cincinnati Zoo, when endangered gorilla Harambe was killed.
Many are vocal with their outrage over the zoo’s decision to end Harambe’s life, and much of their displeasure are directed toward the Gregg family, with slews of angry messages directed toward them, particularly at the parents’ failure to keep their son under control.
The life of the endangered animal could have been saved, people say. It’s the parents of the boy who should be blamed.
In the wake of this tragedy, online petitions have been created to urge Cincinnati Zoo to hold the parents accountable for the animal’s death. One such petition on Change.org, called “Justice for Harambe,” as of press time has accrued 498,879, 1,121 short of its target of 500,000.
Not only that, a Facebook group also calling themselves “Justice for Harambe” now has 162,460 members.
The hashtag #JusticeForHarambe trended worldwide on Twitter.
Animal rights groups and activists have staged rallies outside the zoo.
And now, finally, the mother of the four-year-old boy who fell into the animal’s enclosure broke her silence and finally spoke out about the harrowing experience.
Michelle Gregg statement was posted on her personal Facebook page, which she has since deactivated.
“I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers today,” her message began. “What started off as a wonderful day turned into a scary one.”
God protected her child, she said, and that thankfully her son is now safe and was able to walk away with just a concussion and scrapes—he hadn’t sustained broken bones or internal injuries.
“As society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off their child and if anyone knows me I keep a tight watch on my kids. Accidents happen but I am thankful that the right people were in the right place today.”
READ: Zookeeper’s post about Harambe’s death goes viral
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