By NICOLE PATRICK-GIBSON
An incident involving the shooting of an endangered animal in a US zoo has caused a stir in the press and on social media.
Harambe, a silverback gorilla, was shot by Cincinnati zookeepers when a 4-year-old boy fell into his pen.
Footage captured by a bystander of the scene shows the child being dragged through water by the gorilla but many speculate that the animal was just being protective.
Other debates have risen over the actions taken by the zoo’s use of a gun and not a tranquilliser and the lack of responsibility of the child’s parents.
I asked people on De Montfort University campus if they thought Harambe should have been shot which reflects the mixed views.
Design crafts student, Sarah King, did some research on the topic.
She said: “The animal is so strong that it could have hurt the child really easily. At the end of the day you can’t tranquillise something quick enough so shooting it was the only way to go.”
The zoo defended its decision to shoot Harambe and re-opened the gorilla exhibit with a higher fence.
A petition to prosecute the parents over the shooting was signed by half a million people but they were recently told they would not face charges.
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