Jeff Corwin reminds parents 'zoos aren't your babysitter'
Animal expert and conservationist Jeff Corwin doesn't want another incident like the killing of Harambe the gorilla to happen again, and he's reminding parents that anytime their children are around wild animals, they need to be alert.
"Zoos aren't your babysitter," he told Fox 25. "Take a break from the cellphone, the selfie stick, and the texting. Connect with your children. Be responsible for your children. I don't think it happened in seconds or minutes. I think this took time for this kid, this little boy, to find himself in that situation. Ultimately, it's the gorilla that's paid the price."
On Saturday, a 4-year-old boy entered the Cincinnati Zoo's gorilla enclosure, and Harambe, a 17-year-old, 400-pound silverback gorilla, pulled him. Harambe was shot and killed, with zoo officials calling that a necessary step save the child. The killing of the endangered gorilla triggered outrage from the public, with many asking why an adult wasn't paying enough attention to stop the boy from making his way into the enclosure. Corwin told CNN people have "a responsibility. We have so many examples where people don't employ common sense in a national park, trying to take a picture next to a bison, a wild animal. Well, guess who gets sued, the national park, when things go awry."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Shardlake: a 'tightly plotted, gorgeously atmospheric piece of television'
The Week Recommends Arthur Hughes captivates in this 'eminently watchable' Tudor murder mystery
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Major League Baseball is facing an epidemic of pitcher's injuries
Under the Radar Many insiders are blaming the pitch clock for the rise in injuries — but the league is not so sure
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
8 movie musicals that prove the screen can share the stage
The Week Recommends The singing and dancing, bigger than life itself
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published