Two Teens Taunted Gorilla Who Then Escaped

S. Telegram Via Drudge ^

[Twinkie]

I don't know what anyone else thinks about this subject,
and I guess this is a bleeding heart liberal position to
take. As for myself, I could do without zoos - period.
I've gone to zoos since I was 5 or 6 yrs. old and seen
animals, though probably well taken care of, in boring
& undignified situations. I saw a pair of tigers doing
obsessive, repetitious running & rolling in tandem in a
very small concrete and steel cage. I thought they had
probably been in a circus, but found out later that it was
simply their response to a terribly unnatural and boring
life. - If kids need to see animal specimens in a cage,
then have sculptors make replicas of them and put them in
those glass cases in a museum type setting. Let the wild
things be normal and wild. - My first trip was to the
Memphis zoo, where I guess I might have barely escaped
being "captured" myself by the notorious "kid snatching"
lady who kidnapped a lot of kids my age and adopted them
out (sold them). I forget her name.

[Americanchild]

He was released from the hospital on sunday and is doing fine.

[Thinkin' Gal]

How about putting them in a cage with another gorilla.

[RightWhale]

I hope they track down those kids

Yeah, this is sick.

[cricket]

"This article makes it sound like the teens were stoning this gorilla like a group of palestinians would like to do to do Sharon right now.I am not buying that at all."

You make good points; and I am glad to hear they may be some other considerations here.

Thank you as well for some interesting background on that certain 'First Lady'. Makes her practice of politics all the more understandable!

"Another female chimp used to enjoy eating her own feces in front of the crowds, they finally got rid of her. (she went on to be 1st lady in the 90s)"

LOL! for sure.

[Americanchild]

And it would have been secure on this day if the staff or whoever has the responsibility to protect the public were doing their job>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Excuse me? I wasn't aware my job entailed following the public around as an armed guard. The people were evacauted and/or locked in safe places in little over 5 minutes.
That's 25 acres and several hundred people. The staff WERE doing their jobs.

[No Blue States]

He probably knew of the exit route so whats to say anything else wouldnt have set him off? Like some kid eating a banana that he decided he wanted?

Another point is, when he did escape he attacked innocent people. It was not their fault. And only slightly the teens fault.

The cage should have been secure. If one cant be built that will hold them maybe they should roam free in their natural habitat for their sake and ours.

I imagine its a worse punishment to be gawked at by thousands each year than teens throwing him a few new objects to play with.

Im not sure what im doing arguing on the gorilla thread,I just live here and my kids visit the Fort worth zoo alot.

If a wild animal escaped and harmed them, I would certainly blame the zoo who has the COMPLETE responsibility to protect their customers.

I do feel sorry for the gorilla who was being picked on. But it was an escape waiting to happen imo.

[Ready4Freddy]

LOL, was thinking of that scene myself.

"Two gorillas?"

[Orange1998]

DeLeon said he borrowed a utility knife from a young boy and began cutting the mesh netting of the aviary.

I find that odd.

[No Blue States]

If your job isnt to ensure dangerous animals cages are secure, then I wasnt meaning you.

You make some good points also, I mean no offence FRiend.

It could have been alot worse huh?

I hope the zoo will take all possible steps to protect the public. And that kids wont be bad anymore.

Like a poster above, I would rather them all be free and watch nature documentaries to get my foreign animal fix.

[Ranxerox]

Can you imagine the mess in the pants of these teenagers when they saw Jabari clear the fence?

ROTFLOL! Even the gorillas in Texas don't take any sh**. The expressions on those kids faces must have been equally as priceless.

Jabari reminds of old Farmer Davidson, who chased us for miles after we pelted his truck with snowballs, shouting "When I catch you boys, I gonna kick yer ass 'til your nose bleeds!"

[Americanchild]

Thanks, friend.

Yeah, it could have been a lot worse; he could easily have killed those people. But he didn't. He was just a teenager himself and was responding to the fear and excitement all around him. He likely felt cornered when he found himself in the aviary surrounded by lots of screaming people.

Yeah, they'd be better off wild. But most zoo animals have never been wild and don't know how to be. Not many choices for those animals already here.

[Americanchild]

Thanks, friend.

Yeah, it could have been a lot worse; he could easily have killed those people. But he didn't. He was just a teenager himself and was responding to the fear and excitement all around him. He likely felt cornered when he found himself in the aviary surrounded by lots of screaming people.

Yeah, they'd be better off wild. But most zoo animals have never been wild and don't know how to be. Not many choices for those animals already here.

[Americanchild]

And it would have been secure on this day if the staff or whoever has the responsibility to protect the public were doing their job>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Excuse me? I wasn't aware my job entailed following the public around as an armed guard. The people were evacauted and/or locked in safe places in little over 5 minutes.
That's 25 acres and several hundred people. The staff WERE doing their jobs.

[newgeezer]

The traffic here in Dallas is unreal. I don't know why they can't do something about it.

$5 gas might do the trick.

[Americanchild]

Sorry about the multiple posts. My IE is having issues...

[No Blue States]

Thanks for appreciating my hillary joke. I hope I didnt come across wrong defending the teens. Soon there will be one in my home and the fine line between being too lienient and to strict is my goal.

I predict the cages are truly being secured now. Thank goodness no one got killed.

It cant be easy running a zoo especially with the huge crowds Dallas gets,and no doubt if they knew they had a leaky cage they would have fixed it before the gorilla ever escaped.

[prairie dog]

Another female chimp used to enjoy eating her own feces in front of the crowds, they finally got rid of her. (she went on to be 1st lady in the 90s)

A big just-got-home-from-work, Diet RC-spewing guffaw at your offhand remark!

[watchin]

Let me guess ... the police were not given tranquilizer guns because they're not medical personnel trained in administering medicine. They might have hurt the gorilla.

I'll bet I'm not far off.

[No Blue States]

For the record I dont abuse animals , they abuse me. Just this am my cat shredded my hand when I reached down to tickle her belly. She dont like to be touched but the temptation was too much. Cant blame her a bit and took no action to punish her.

I would clip her razor sharp claws if she didnt need them for self defense.