GRANBY – The Granby Zoo’s policy is that when human life is potentially in jeopardy, a “lethal shot” will be taken.
Shannon Ferrell, Granby Zoo’s chief of veterinary services, told Global News the zoo reviewed its safety protocol in the wake of the shooting death of a 400-pound gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Workers shot Harambe, the gorilla, dead after a boy fell into the animal enclosure.
WATCH: Ohio zoo kills gorilla after 4-year-old falls in enclosure
Dramatic video of the boy being dragged through water by the animal caused a social media storm.
While some animal rights activists decried the move as cruel and unnecessary, since the gorilla didn’t seem to be threatening the child, Ferrell said the move was the right one.
He said animals react differently to stressful situations than humans and there was no telling what the gorilla could have done to the boy.
“The gorilla could have just pushed the child accidentally, with no intent of malice, and still injured the child,” Ferrell said.
“So unfortunately, I think it was the wise decision.”
READ MORE: Cincinnati Zoo: police to investigate circumstances of gorilla’s death
Ferrell said Granby Zoo has a trained shooting squad that can respond to crises in a matter of minutes.
He added any animal considered dangerous is kept in an enclosure that would be difficult to penetrate.
There are usually two or three barriers that people would have to get through to reach tigers or lions, for instance.
“The flamingos, it’s relatively easy to access,” Ferrell said.
“The carnivores, it’s going to be difficult to access or for them to leave.”
The gorillas, in particular, go through emergency training, where they are trained to stop what they are doing and rush inside when a special alarm goes off.
The zoo said it plans to re-train them on this in the wake of the Cincinnati incident.
Granby Zoo officials said they receive 600,000 visitors a year and have never had an incident where a visitor slipped into an animal enclosure and was at risk.
READ MORE: Parents of boy rescued from gorilla enclosure investigated by police
Isabelle Simioni, who was visiting the zoo on a sunny Tuesday morning with her daughter Willow, said the Cincinnati incident was definitely on her mind, although she felt the Granby Zoo was a safe place to be.
“It makes me think to keep my eyes on her a lot more,” Simioni said, standing in front of the zoo’s gorilla enclosure.
“If we are in situations like this, they stay next to you. Don’t let your kids run off.”
The zoo is currently open for the summer.
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