3-year-old boy escaped gorilla attack

 

A 3-year-old boy escaped without serious injury after he crawled through a barrier at the Cincinnati Zoo and into a gorilla enclosure, where he was picked up by a 400-pound gorilla, the zoo director said.

After the boy crawled through the barrier Saturday, he fell into a moat, where he was picked up and carried around by the gorilla for about 10 minutes, Zoo Director Thane Maynard said.

There were already fire department personnel at the zoo because of a sick person, and they responded immediately to the pen, District Fire Chief Marc Monahan said.

When they got to the gorilla pen they saw the gorilla who violently dragging and throwing the child, he said.

A Cincinnati Zoo employee shot the gorilla when the child was in between its legs, and zoo employees then unlocked the gate and two fire fighters quickly retrieved the child.

Once the child was in a safe area, he was given a full trauma assessment, and then transported to Children's Hospital with serious injuries, Monahan said.

Police said the boy's injuries were non-life-threatening, according to ABC affiliate WCPO.

The 17-year-old male gorilla was killed because the boy had been in a "life-threatening situation," Maynard said.

While Maynard said putting the gorilla down was a "difficult choice," he said, "the right choice was made."

Maynard called it "a sad day" at the zoo, but credited the zoo team with saving the young boy's life.