Shocking Photo of Gorilla Exhibit Sheds New Light on Shooting Incident

02 Jun, 2016 by Sierra Marlee

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While America is lamenting the death of an endangered gorilla, new photos indicate that it may have been extremely easy for the young child to slip into the cage.

From Western Journalism:

As the old saying goes, “Curiosity killed the cat,” but child-like fascination with gorillas is probably what nearly killed Isiah Dickerson, the Cincinnati boy who fell inside the gorilla enclosure Saturday. And now photos are available that may serve to demonstrate just exactly why and how the young boy nearly lost his life in the incident.

While many are outraged at the boy’s mother, Michelle Gregg, as Western Journalism reported on Wednesday, the zoo may be partially to blame for the incident, based on new images of the gorilla enclosure as it stood last week.

The only barrier seen is a 3-feet-tall iron fence, easily scalable by a small child. Beyond the fence, shrubs are all that stand in the way of the 15-foot drop-off into the gorilla pit.

The photos would seem to indicate just how easily a young boy could get over the small fence and through the bushes, only to fall into the gorilla enclosure. Despite that, however, this was the first breach at the gorilla exhibit since it opened in 1978.

According to the Daily Mail, zoo director Thane Maynard said: “We all need to work to make sure our families are safe. Do you know any 3-year-olds? They can climb over anything. … Any of us could climb over barriers if we choose. As I said, you can lock your car or lock your house, but if someone wants to get in, they can.”