Heart-stopping moment four-year-old boy falls 12 feet into zoo enclosure and is grabbed and dragged by 400-lb gorilla for 10 minutes before the animal is shot dead
- The Cincinnati Zoo shot and killed the 17-year-old gorilla after the boy fell into the gorilla exhibit moat on Saturday
- Authorities said the boy fell 10 to 12 feet and was inside the enclosure for more than 10 minutes
- The boy, who is not named, is expected to recover after being picked up out of the moat
- While zoo officials are still investigating, they believe the boy crawled through a railing barrier and then fell into the moat
- Video footage has emerged show some of the chilling moments of the time the boy was inside the enclosure
- During the chaotic scenes, people can be heard shouting ‘No, no!’ and for someone to call 911
A zoo shot and killed a 17-year-old gorilla that grabbed and dragged a four-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla exhibit moat on Saturday afternoon, the Cincinnati Zoo’s director said.
Authorities said the boy, who fell 10 to 12 feet, is expected to recover after being picked up out of the moat and dragged by the 400-pound male, lowland gorilla named Harambe – who celebrated his birthday on Friday.
The boy was in the moat for about 10 minutes and was in between the gorilla’s legs when the gorilla was shot, according to WLWT.
While zoo officials are still investigating, they believe the boy crawled through a railing barrier, and then fell into the moat.
Zoo officials said at the time boy fell in the moat, three gorillas were in the enclosure but the two female gorillas were called out immediately.
However, a third gorilla, Harambe, remained in the yard with the child.
listen: 911 call released on the boy who fell in Gorilla exhibit
New Developments
‘He’s dragging my son!’ Dramatic 911 call made by mother of boy who fell into gorilla enclosure released as parents say their son is ‘doing well’ and urge people to donate money in Harambe’s name
— Michelle Gregg called 911 when her son Isiah fell into gorilla enclosure
— Panicked mother is heard shouting that the silverback is ‘dragging my son’
— Gregg yells for Isiah, three, to ‘be calm’ and says she ‘can’t watch this’
— She and father Deonne Dickerson said their son is ‘doing well’
— They thanked the zookeepers who shot gorilla Harambe after he grabbed the boy and dragged him around
— Parents asked for donations to be made to the zoo in the gorilla’s name
— Prosecutors are investigating and said criminal charges could be pursued
A dramatic 911 call made by the mother of the boy who fell into the gorilla enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo has been released.
Michelle Gregg is heard screaming that silverback gorilla Harambe is ‘dragging my son’ and yelling for three-year-old Isiah to ‘stay calm’.
Panicking, Gregg tells the police dispatcher: ‘Hi, my son fell in the zoo exhibit at the gorilla – at Cincinnati Zoo. My son fell in with the gorilla. There is a male gorilla standing over him.’
As the operator tries to ask Gregg how old her son is, she shouts, ‘be calm, be calm, be calm’ to her son.
‘He’s dragging my son. I can’t watch this,’ the mother adds before the line is disconnected.
In another frantic 911 call, an unidentified woman is heard pleading for help.
‘There’s a baby in the zoo that fell in the gorilla moat! There’s a baby at the zoo in the gorilla moat,’ she shouts.
‘Hurry! Hurry! The gorillas are out. The gorillas don’t have him yet. They need help,’ the woman says, adding that she has left the area around the enclosure because she has young children.
Both Gregg, who was with Isiah when he crawled into the exhibit, and the boy’s father Deonne Dickerson have praised zoo staff for ‘protecting our child’ after keepers shot Harambe dead when he got hold of the boy.
Meanwhile prosecutors have revealed that police are now investigating the events that led up to the shooting to see whether Gregg or Dickerson were at fault.
A statement released by the family on Wednesday said: ‘Our child has had a checkup by his doctor and is still doing well.
‘We continue to praise God for His grace and mercy, and to be thankful to the Cincinnati Zoo for their actions taken to protect our child.
‘We are also very appreciative for the expressions of concern and support that have been sent to us.
‘Some have offered money to the family, which we do not want and will not accept. If anyone wishes to make a gift, we recommend a donation to the Cincinnati Zoo in Harambe’s name.’
Cincinnati Police Department spokeswoman Tiffaney Hardy told The New York Post: ‘The investigation is regarding the action of parents and family that led up to the incident and is not related to zoo operations.
‘We’re looking into the incidents that led up to the incident.’
Prosecutor Joseph T. Deters said in a statement: ‘The incident at the Cincinnati Zoo involving the young child who fell into the gorilla enclosure is under investigation by the Cincinnati Police Department.
‘Once their investigation is concluded, they will confer with our office on possible criminal charges. When the investigation and review are complete, we will update the media.’
- Deonne Dickerson has a past history of violent crime. He now lives in Cincinnati with partner Michelle Gregg and together they have four children
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Isiah Dickerson was with his mother Michelle Gregg at Cincinnati Zoo, Ohio, when he somehow made his way through a barrier and into a moat – and was lifted up by Harambe.
Within minutes the 17-year-old 450lb silverback was killed by zookeepers who feared for Isiah’s safety.
Since then neither Gregg nor Dickerson have been seen in public.
Soon after the incident Gregg posted a message on Facebook saying: ‘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 released a statement on Sunday saying they had taken their boy home from the hospital.
It read: ‘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.’
Video footage emerged on Saturday revealing some of the chilling moments of the time the boy was inside the moat, as a panicked crowd looking on can be heard screaming as the ordeal unfolded.
During the chaotic scenes, people can be heard shouting ‘No, no!’ and for someone to call 911.
At one point a woman appearing to be the child’s mother yells down, ‘mommy’s right here,’ ‘mommy loves you,’ and then says ‘Isaiah be calm,’ as the boy can be heard crying.
The graphic portions of the ordeal which apparently showed the gorilla dragging the boy through the water, were removed from the footage, according to by WLWT.
The child was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center with serious injuries following the incident, which was reported around 4pm.
The boy was alert when he was taken to hospital, according to officials.
Hospital officials said they could not release any information on the child, whose name has not been released.
Director Thane Maynard said the zoo’s dangerous animal response team, which practices for such incidents, decided the boy was in ‘a life-threatening situation’ and that they needed to put down the gorilla.
‘They made a tough choice and they made the right choice because they saved that little boy’s life,’ Maynard said.
‘It could have been very bad.’
Maynard said the gorilla did not appear to be attacking the child, but he said it was ‘an extremely strong’ animal in an agitated situation.
A Cincinnati fire department incident report stated that the gorilla was ‘violently dragging and throwing the child,’ according to WLWT.
Maynard explained that tranquilizing the gorilla would not have knocked it out immediately, leaving the boy in danger.
A day before Saturday’s incident, the zoo had posted on its Facebook page asking the public to wish Harambe a happy 17th birthday
He also noted it was the first time that the team had killed a zoo animal in such an emergency situation, and he called it ‘a very sad day’ at the zoo.
Harambe came to Cincinnati in 2015 from the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas. According to the zoo’s website, it houses 11 gorillas.
The area around the gorilla exhibit was closed off on Saturday afternoon as zoo visitors reported hearing screaming.
The zoo is to be open as usual on Sunday but Gorilla World will be closed until further notice.
In March, two curious polar bears at the zoo wandered into a behind-the-scenes service hallway through an open den door, but never left a secondary containment area.
The zoo said the 17-year-old female Berit and the 26-year-old male Little One, entered an ‘inappropriate’ area but remained contained and were never loose or a threat to the public.
During that incident, zoo officials said staff followed protocols and safely returned the bears to their main holding area within two hours.
MOMENT APE SAVED A TINY BOY WHO FELL INTO A ZOO ENCLOSURE 30 YEARS AGO
It was a story that gripped the nation – a five-year-old British boy who was knocked unconscious when he fell into a zoo’s gorilla enclosure and was touchingly protected by a giant male silverback named Jambo, who stood guard as the pack of apes circled.
Earlier this year, Levan Merritt shared his memories with Mail Online of that fateful day thirty years ago when iconic video footage of the incident made headlines around the world while at the Jersey Zoo, now known as Durrell Wildlife Park.
On August 30 1986, Merrit and his family took a trip to a trip to the island of Jersey in the English Channel for a family holiday.
During a family holiday, Levan Merritt slipped and fell 20ft down into the gorilla pit at a zoo located on the island of Jersey in the English Channel
The 7ft tall 18 stone silverback male, Jambo, peered over to look at Levan who lay motionless on the concrete
In the remarkable incident that followed, Jambo stroked his back and protected him from the circling pack
While at the zoo, his father lifted his brother onto his shoulders to get a better look at the majestic animals, and Merritt decided to follow suit by clambering up the wall.
In the terrifying moment that followed, he slipped and fell 20 feet into the pit, snapping his arm and fracturing his skull in the process.
As he lay motionless on the ground, a 7ft tall 18 stone silverback male – called Jambo – slowly approached him.
As his family and a crowd of onlookers watched on in horror, Jambo reached out and gently stroked Levan’s back.
Jambo then stood protectively over Levan, as he lay unconscious on the floor after the nasty fall
The gorilla stood guard over Levan when he was unconscious, placing himself between the boy and the other gorillas in a protective gesture.
After a nerve-jangling minute, Levan began to regain consciousness and started to cry.
As his family screamed at him to remain still, his sobs caused the gorillas to retreat in panic and Jambo led them into the house in the pen.
But when the gate was closing, a younger gorilla called Hobbit rushed out, at which point and an ambulanceman and two keepers stepped in and rescued Levan in a dramatic escape.
Rescuers then hauled Merritt up on a stretcher and he was airlifted to hospital.
Levan‘s family screamed at him to remain still as he started to stir – his cries scared the gorillas away
