General Discussion

nolabear

(43,850 posts)

56. Thanks. I still have a scar from having a hole punched in my hand by a "tame" mountain lion.

Mon May 30, 2016, 12:10 PM

May 2016

She was a beauty, and we loved her very much. She was raised by an idiot who thought you could have a pet mountain lion and then he found he had a MOUNTAIN LION. Of course her chance at normal was shot, so we got her. She wanted affection so much. She'd rub against the steel mesh of her enclosure and plead for attention. She could neither be with her kind nor ours.

One day when I was feeding her (we had little mini-cages where you could close it off, put the food in and then open the animal's side) I just didn't do it quite right. She swiped that giant paw in to grab the food and grabbed me instead. Nasty hole, blew up like crazy because it was full of bacteria, but it all worked out fine eventually. She did nothing wrong. I really wasn't negligent; I was just human and made a mistake. Thank goodness it wasn't worse. But you can't always see it coming.

FYI the most dangerous animals we rescued were deer. Being attacked by a deer is the most shocking thing in the world, and it happened to most of us at one time or another. Those hooves are incredibly dangerous.

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In Gorilla's Death, Critics Blame Mother, Cincinnati Zoo [View all] Purveyor May 2016 OP

Humans react to quickly to anything that is scary. Silver_Witch May 2016 #1

I agree that gorilla wasn't trying to hurt the child. LisaL May 2016 #3

Because of its size - 450 lbs- the gorilla could have easily harmed the child, likely ca 40 lbs, No Vested Interest May 2016 #4

the video clips of the gorilla dragging the boy around weren't posted magical thyme May 2016 #26

The videos are everywhere. There was no dragging! Silver_Witch May 2016 #55

The initial videos released by the media cut out the dragging part, No Vested Interest May 2016 #74

One of the first 911 calls Ms. Yertle May 2016 #42

I'd like the mother charged with involuntary manslaughter yeoman6987 May 2016 #45

Why? Did she kill someone? Orrex May 2016 #72

"People were going crazy and panicking...." mahatmakanejeeves May 2016 #50

I saw part of the film and the gorilla did not look like there was any intent of direct RKP5637 May 2016 #76

The gorilla's intent was irrelevant Matrosov May 2016 #86

I don't blame anyone. gwheezie May 2016 #2

I agree, no parent is capable of watching their child 100% of the time Quixote1818 May 2016 #12

when you're at the zoo and your child tells you he intends to go into the pool magical thyme May 2016 #28

Child leashes Ms. Yertle May 2016 #38

agreed. nt magical thyme May 2016 #49

the kid SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON A LEASH. trueblue2007 May 2016 #79

Agreed blame is perhaps not the right word, however, the child should not have been still_one May 2016 #13

the boy told his mother he was going into the pool. More than once. magical thyme May 2016 #31

Though the family's identities have not been officially released, No Vested Interest May 2016 #5

Yes, because Gorillas are just dangerous animals Feeling the Bern May 2016 #6

Fuckin' A! Cly May 2016 #17

I suspect if it was your four year old down there, you would feel differently. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #23

MY four year old kid wouldn't have been down there because my wife doesn't like going to zoos Feeling the Bern May 2016 #30

Your inability to imagine situations outside of your limited experience speaks volumes Orrex May 2016 #43

I can imagine having a 4 year old. What I cannot imagine magical thyme May 2016 #81

Tranquilizers aren't instantaneous Orrex May 2016 #27

Glad you support the murder of an animal. All animals in nature are equal, but some are more Feeling the Bern May 2016 #29

Oh, get the over yourself. Orrex May 2016 #36

Keep supporting the murder of animals. Feeling the Bern May 2016 #37

I'll take the killing of an animal SickOfTheOnePct May 2016 #40

Disagree. Jester Messiah May 2016 #58

Careful--someone might mistake your over-the-top hyperbole for an actual argument Orrex May 2016 #61

That's a lie, and you've posted it twice, so I guess that makes you a liar. Orrex May 2016 #41

Oh, honey. Let me speak from some experience. nolabear May 2016 #47

^^Thread win. Orrex May 2016 #48

Ding ding ding. We have a winner. CincyDem May 2016 #53

Thanks. I still have a scar from having a hole punched in my hand by a "tame" mountain lion. nolabear May 2016 #56

Very well said ... brett_jv May 2016 #80

I see nothing wrong with prioritizing a human life over an animal Travis_0004 May 2016 #39

"Murder" is a legal term. Ms. Yertle May 2016 #44

Free clue: Tranq darts don't work like on TV. X_Digger May 2016 #51

That should be the reply to about half of the posts in this thread. Orrex May 2016 #73

I cheer her as well!!! Silver_Witch May 2016 #54

"Humans are too blame for the destruction of this planet...." mahatmakanejeeves May 2016 #85

There's no way the kid should have been able to get into the moat in the first place. Bad Dog May 2016 #7

That is the correct answer in my view still_one May 2016 #14

Thank you. Bad Dog May 2016 #16

Exactly. The enclosure was not designed well enough to exclude a 7yrold? Who Nay May 2016 #25

A track record of success. CincyDem May 2016 #52

I agree. This is really sad. yardwork May 2016 #89

How the hell do you have a zoo enclosure a child can bypass? ArcticFox May 2016 #8

The video of the gorilla violently dragging the boy by the ankle showed the zoo had no choice. SunSeeker May 2016 #9

Link to video rpannier May 2016 #18

There are two different videos floating around firebrand80 May 2016 #19

Thank You rpannier May 2016 #20

It is at the CNN link provided in the OP. Click on the 2:42 video. SunSeeker May 2016 #57

My kid never got arms length from me MFM008 May 2016 #10

Which fast-acting tranquilizer do you have in mind, exactly? Orrex May 2016 #32

Dumbass mother bluestateguy May 2016 #11

I blame the people who go to zoos. Wild animals should not be kept in cages dilby May 2016 #15

If the option is alive in a cage or dead in the back of a poacher's truck... Orrex May 2016 #33

What a false dichotomy that is! Stargleamer May 2016 #59

Sorry, but that's not a false dichotomy. It's a hypothetical. Not the same. Orrex May 2016 #60

it comes across as a false dichotomy when you know damn well Stargleamer May 2016 #65

Again, that's your problem and not mine Orrex May 2016 #69

An explanation Stargleamer May 2016 #75

Perhaps you unfamiliar with "imply" versus "infer" Orrex May 2016 #77

Well, okay then, it�s a preference expressed (disguised?) in a hypothetical format. . . Stargleamer May 2016 #87

I was going to post a blistering, point-for-point reply Orrex May 2016 #88

I have absolutely no doubts.. . Stargleamer May 2016 #90

You're too kind. Orrex Jun 2016 #99

There's the issue with issues like this The2ndWheel May 2016 #62

But consider: Orrex May 2016 #64

Well you were vague in what you were talking about The2ndWheel May 2016 #67

Obviously it depends on the context of the situation Orrex May 2016 #71

Then the zoo matrix needs to do more to protect both gorilla and human The2ndWheel May 2016 #83

The original comment to which I posed that hypothetical... Orrex May 2016 #84

Not everything can be made idiot-proof, but surely a gorilla cage can be made child-proof. (nt) stone space May 2016 #21

Blaming the mother is absurd, unless she boosted the child over the fence on her shoulders. stone space May 2016 #22

Not closely monitoring a four year old who you have brought to a place of danger the child can't Bluenorthwest May 2016 #35

If the child keeps saying I want to go play with the gorillas avebury May 2016 #70

They are called harnesses not leashes. Boudica the Lyoness May 2016 #96

Its a tragic story all the way around. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #24

Not even a gorilla, that was a chimpanzee. elehhhhna May 2016 #46

Right you are. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #78

Fucking wildlife, why cannot it be mildlife? Rex May 2016 #92

I remember back when i was a wayward young man and was experimenting with the evil weed Warren DeMontague May 2016 #93

That is interesting, that did it for me too. Rex May 2016 #94

Yeah. Funny that. Warren DeMontague May 2016 #95

Why was the boy able to crawl into that enclosure? leftyladyfrommo May 2016 #34

I blame both moondust May 2016 #63

What a nightmare. mnhtnbb May 2016 #66

The mother 100% at fault. avebury May 2016 #68

I 100% agree with you. Boudica the Lyoness May 2016 #97

The zoo is 100% at fault. A four-year old can overcome zoo security? kwassa May 2016 #98

~ In_The_Wind May 2016 #82

You cannot have an opinion on this subject, which is not morally wrong to someone else. Rex May 2016 #91