A true activist. Actress Kaley Cuoco weighed in on the tragic death of Harambe the gorilla, in a new post on Instagram, just days after the beloved animal was killed at the Cincinnati Zoo.
As previously reported, a 4-year-old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the Ohio zoo on Saturday, where, according to witnesses, he was picked up and dragged around by the 400-pound, 17-year-old western lowland silverback gorilla. After determining that the situation was life-threatening, a zoo employee shot and killed the animal to save the child. Shortly after news broke, many social media users – including Kaley Cuoco voiced their opinions about the incident.
“RIP #harambe Im sure I will get tons of backlash (per usual) I mean let’s be honest, I wear the wrong sweatpants and the entire world has something to say about it, but once again, another senseless horrendous animal being killed over people not using their brains,” ‘The Big Bang Theory star’, 30, captioned a photo of the late gorilla. “If you watch the footage, you see this gorgeous animal holding that child’s hand. Do with that what you will. As sad as this makes me, a part of me is happy for that amazing creature doesn’t have to live in captivity another day. Bring on the hate!!!!”
The Cincinnati Zoo defended its controversial decision with a statement on its website on Saturday. “The zoo security team’s quick response saved the child’s life. We are all devastated that this tragic accident resulted in the death of a critically-endangered gorilla,” zoo director Thane Maynard wrote. “This is a huge loss for the zoo family and the gorilla population worldwide.”
On Monday, Thane Maynard stuck by the decision to shoot and kill Harambe, noting during a press conference, that child’s life was in danger. “People, who question that don’t understand you can’t take a risk with a silverback gorilla. That is a dangerous animal.”
The mother of the boy also defended herself in a Facebook post on Saturday after she was attacked online for allegedly not watching her son. “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,” she wrote.