Washington, D.C. — Born Free USA, a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation, grieves the tragic and preventable death of Harambe, and urges zoos to permanently end exhibitions of captive gorillas. Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo, was killed on Saturday after a young boy fell into his enclosure. This incident is not the first at this zoo, and is one of many involving gorillas at zoos throughout the U.S.[teaserbreak]
According to international animal welfare expert Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA, “The lesson of Harambe is that having dangerous wild animals in American zoos is not worth the risk to humans and the risk to the animals themselves. Zoos, whether licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture or accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, cannot predict or prevent the possibility that animals will escape their compounds or that humans will enter them. The only way to eliminate risk is to not have certain animals in zoos in the first place. Should dangerous animals not be on display? Should exhibits be closed while a complete review of safety protocols is put in place? Should all emergency protocols at every zoo in the country be assessed? If you play Russian roulette with wild animals in captivity, it’s best to reduce the number of bullets in the chamber. However, the lesson of Harambe is that it’s best not to play at all. Gorillas should be protected in Africa where they belong. Children can learn about gorillas—and tigers, lions, elephants, and polar bears—without ever seeing one up close.”
According to the Born Free USA Exotic Animal Incidents Database, at the Cincinnati Zoo:
- In 1990, a zookeeper named Laurie Stober was offering a grape to a caged polar bear when it pushed its teeth through the bars and chewed up her right arm almost to the elbow. She survived, and the subsequent lawsuit included allegations that the zoo ignored danger warnings from Stober and other staff.
- In 1996, a Bengal tiger mauled the seven-year-old daughter of the zoo education director as the animal was about to appear on a television show with the girl’s father.
- Multiple young animals, including a polar bear, a giraffe, and a white lion, have died from avoidable injuries or unapparent causes.
- It is clear that safety protocols have not improved. In March 2016, a polar bear named Berit escaped from his enclosure, forcing the zoo to close temporarily.
In addition, the Born Free USA Exotic Animal Incidents Database catalogues more than 20 incidents involving gorillas at U.S. zoos, demonstrating the inherent risk associated with keeping them in captivity:
- In 1998, a 340-pound gorilla escaped from his room at the Dallas Zoo, raided the kitchen, bit a keeper, and then dragged her down a hallway.
- In 2000, Evelyn, a gorilla at the Los Angeles Zoo, used overgrown honeysuckle vines to pull herself out of her enclosure and wandered the grounds for an hour until subdued by a tranquilizer dart.
- In 2003, Little Joe, a 300-pound gorilla, escaped from his cage at the Franklin Park Zoo for the second time that year by scaling a 10-foot wide, 12-foot deep moat, getting past electric wire, and leaving the zoo grounds. During the escape, Little Joe attacked an 18-year-old woman, throwing her several feet in the air, stepping on her, dragging her, and biting her on her back. The woman was holding a two-year-old girl who was snatched out of her arms and slammed to the ground.
- In 2004, Jabari, a 13-year-old western lowland gorilla, escaped from his two-acre enclosure at the Dallas Zoo and attacked several people before charging at police officers, who fired three shots, killing him. Jabari bit a 26-year-old woman and her three-year-old son several times and threw them against a wall.
- In 2012, a 400-pound adult male gorilla escaped his cage at the Buffalo Zoo, biting a female zookeeper before being tranquilized and captured.
Roberts adds, “Zoo apologists like Jack Hanna keep saying the same thing. They say zoos are safe; that accidents happen; and that the decision to shoot the gorilla was the right one (just as Hanna said about a deadly incident at the San Francisco Zoo involving a tiger a decade ago). But, the point is that these situations should never arise in the first place. We should be guided by a sense of precaution, not risk. Let us honor Harambe by ensuring that this tragedy is never repeated.”
Born Free USA is a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and public education, Born Free USA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets,” trapping and fur, and the destructive international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to America the message of “compassionate conservation”: the vision of the U.K.-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son, Will Travers. Born Free’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at www.bornfreeusa.org, www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa, and www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa.
Media Contact: Rodi Rosensweig, 203/270-8929, TheRodiCompany@gmail.com