Parents Of Boy Who Fell Into Gorilla Enclosure Could Face Criminal Charges

Yesterday, the story of a gorilla being shot dead after a little boy fell into its enclosure shocked the world.

According to BBC News, the boy fell into a moat inside the enclosure only to be dragged about by Harambe, a 180kg male gorilla, for around ten minutes.

No-one quite knows whether Harambe was trying to harm the boy or protect him - but the zoo staff took the decision to shoot him dead.

However, reactions to the video have been mixed, with some angry at the zoo's response to the incident and others squarely pointing the finger of blame at the child's parent.

(WARNING: Some people may find the following footage disturbing)

Now, according to the Daily Mail, police have confirmed that the parents of the four-year-old child could face criminal charges.

The boy's mother, Michelle Gregg, wrote on Facebook: "I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers today. What started off as a wonderful day turned into a scary one.

"For those of you that have seen the news or been on social media that was my son that fell in the gorilla exhibit at the zoo. God protected my child until the authorities were able to get to him.

"My son is safe and was able to walk away with a concussion and a few scrapes... no broken bones or internal injuries. As a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off of their child and if anyone knows me I keep a tight watch on my kids. Accidents happen but I am thankful that the right people were in the right place today."
The family had also released a statement on Sunday saying: "We are so thankful to the Lord that our child is safe. He is home and doing just fine. We extend our heartfelt thanks for the quick action by the Cincinnati Zoo staff.

"We know that this was a very difficult decision for them, and that they are grieving the loss of their gorilla. We hope that you will respect our privacy at this time."

Only time will tell whether or not prosecutors decide to charge the parents or not.

Words by Mel Ramsay

Feature Image Credit: PA Images

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Topics: Gorilla, Dead

Mel Ramsay

Mel Ramsay has been a Senior Journalist for Tyla and LADbible since 2015. She started her career writing obituaries and funeral guides online. Since then, her work has been published in a wide variety of national and local news sites. She is part of the BBC's Generation project and has spoken about young people, politics and mental health on television, radio and online. Contact her - [email protected]

@melramsay_