Boy who fell in gorilla enclosure 'doing just fine'

CINCINNATI — A statue outside the temporarily closed Gorilla World became a makeshift memorial Sunday. Visitors left flowers and cards in honor of Harambe, the gorilla shot and killed Saturday after a 4-year-old boy fell into a shallow moat surrounding the Cincinnati Zoo's gorilla exhibit.

The boy, who has not been identified, was released from Cincinnati Hospital Medical Center on Saturday night.

The boy's family said he is "doing just fine" and thanked zoo staff for their quick action, in a statement released through Gail Myers Public Relations LLC.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks for the quick action by the Cincinnati Zoo staff," the statement read. "We know that this was a very difficult decision for them, and that they are grieving the loss of their gorilla.”

The statement did not identify the family or the boy.

The boy climbed through the barrier around the gorilla enclosure just before 4 p.m. Saturday, then fell 12 feet into the moat surrounding the exhibit.

On videos posted to social media, zoo visitors can be heard screaming. People can be heard yelling "stay calm" and "somebody call the zoo." One woman shouts "mommy loves you."

Harambe, a 17-year-old, 450-pound western lowland gorilla, stood over the boy.

Two female gorillas were also in the enclosure but they responded to zookeepers' calls to leave the exhibit.

One witness said the Harambe initially seemed protective of the boy but was alarmed by the screaming.

Videos posted on social media show the animal drag the boy through the moat before disappearing from view.

First responders saw Harambe "violently dragging and throwing the child," according to the Cincinnati Fire Department.

Fearing for the child's life, the zoo's dangerous animal response team shot and killed Harambe, according to Thane Maynard, director of the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.

Maynard said though Harambe didn't attack the child, the animal's size and strength posed a great danger. "In an agitated situation, it may take quite a while for the tranquilizer to take effect," he said, "At the instant he would be hit, he would have a dramatic response."

The fire department said the boy was in between the gorilla's legs at the time of the shot.

The zoo's response team includes full-time keepers, veterinarians, maintenance, zoo leadership and security staff. Members are trained and certified annually by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.

Gorilla World, which opened in 1978, is inspected regularly by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums and the United States Department of Agriculture, zoo officials said.

Maynard said his staff will study this incident and work toward continuous improvement for the safety of visitors and animals.