Boy Fell into Beloved Gorilla's Enclosure and a Quick Decision Was Made to Shoot the Animal. Then Drama Really Began

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On the ninth anniversary of Harambe the gorilla's death, PEOPLE is looking back at the chaotic incident and the nationwide reaction sparked in its aftermath.
Harambe was shot in May 2016 after he started dragging a young boy who fell into his enclosure
An Ohio prosecutor decided in June 2016 not to charge the boy's mother in connection with the incidentA Saturday at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2016 quickly turned into chaos when a three-year-old-boy slipped into a gorilla enclosure and a 450-lb. ape began dragging him. To save the boy's life, zoo authorities made a quick decision to shoot the primate. The entire incident played out in a matter of minutes, but then took on a life of its own.
On the ninth anniversary of Harambe the gorilla's death, PEOPLE is looking back at the chaotic incident and the nationwide reaction sparked in its aftermath.
On May 28, 2016, the boy "climbed through a public barrier at Gorilla World and dropped fifteen feet into the exhibit's moat," the zoo explained in a statement at the time, noting that according to a Cincinnati Fire Department report, the gorilla then began "dragging and throwing the child."
"Minutes later, the Zoo's Dangerous Animal Response Team arrived and made the difficult decision to put the gorilla down to save the child," the zoo continued, noting that the boy was then removed from the exhibit and taken to the hospital before being released that night.
'We are heartbroken about losing Harambe, but a child's life was in danger and a quick decision had to be made by our Dangerous Animal Response Team,' added Zoo Director Thane Maynard. 'Our first response was to call the gorillas out of the exhibit. The two females complied, but Harambe did not."
Maynard went on to explain that since the child was still in the exhibit with Harambe, tranquilizing the gorilla "was not an option" as it would take minutes for the gorilla to feel the effects, during which time the child would remain in "imminent danger."
"On top of that, the impact from the dart could agitate the animal and cause the situation to get much worse," added Maynard.
However, in the days to come, zoo officials faced mounting criticism for not trying to tranquilize the 17-year-old Western lowland silverback before using lethal force. Still, Maynard argued that time was of the essence to protect the child.
'The idea of waiting and shooting it with a hypodermic was not a good idea,' Maynard said at a press conference two days after the incident. 'The risk was due to the power of that animal."
The boy's mother was also scrutinized, eventually responding to backlash from those who said she hadn't been paying enough attention to her son.
'My son is safe and was able to walk away with a concussion and a few scrapes… no broken bones or internal injuries," Michelle Gregg wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post. '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."
The family went on to urge those who wanted to help to consider making a donation to the zoo in Harambe's name.
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Nevertheless, the internet persisted, and a Change.org petition called Justice for Harambe — which has since been closed — encouraged authorities to 'hold the parents responsible.'
'This beautiful gorilla lost his life because the boy's parents did not keep a closer watch on the child. We the undersigned believe that the child would not have been able to enter the enclosure under proper parental supervision,' it read.
Ultimately, in early June 2016, an Ohio prosecutor announced Gregg would not face charges in connection with the incident.
Harambe moved to the Cincinnati Zoo in 2014 after being born and raised in captivity at a zoo in Brownsville, Texas. In Ohio, zoo officials had hoped to breed him as his species is critically endangered.
Jerry Stones, the zookeeper who helped raise him, said the loss felt like one of his own relatives had died.
'It tore me up, I was very close to him,' Stones said to ABC News. 'He showed a positive attitude as far as leadership. He nurtured his siblings. He would carry them around. That was one of the reasons I pushed for him to go to Cincinnati, so that he could have a family.'
In the aftermath of his death, Harambe found eternal life as a meme – although not everybody got a laugh from them.
'We are not amused by the memes, petitions and signs about Harambe,' Maynard told the Associated Press back in 2016. 'Our zoo family is still healing, and the constant mention of Harambe makes moving forward more difficult for us. We are honoring Harambe by redoubling our gorilla conservation efforts and encouraging others to join us."
Still, the legacy of Harambe still lives on.
Read the original article on People