Source: Vladimir Pcholkin / Getty
CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) –
Activists are banding together in support of Harambe by creating a petition to pass ‘Harambe’s Law.’
The petition states the law would give legal consequences when an endangered animal is harmed or killed due to the negligence of visitors.
As of Tuesday morning, the petition has more than 106,000 supporters. Once it reaches enough signatures, its author – a woman from Chicago – said she plans to send it to lawmakers.
Another petition, by a woman in Cincinnati, blames the boy’s parents for neglect and calls for them to be investigated. That one has more than 300,000 supporters.
Locally, community members took to social media immediately after news broke of the death of 17-year-old Harambe at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical.
The Western Lowland Gorilla was shot dead after dragging a child who wandered into the animal’s exhibit Saturday.
Zoo Director Thane Maynard said the boy crawled through a barrier and fell about 15-feet into the exhibit’s moat around 4 p.m. Fire officials at the scene witnessed the gorilla “violently dragging and throwing the child,” according to a release from Cincinnati Fire Department.
“The reason the tranquilizing was not chosen is that in an agitated situation, which the male was, it may take quite a while for a tranquilizer to take effect,” said Maynard.
The gorilla had just turned 17 on Saturday – one day before the incident.
READ MORE: Cleveland19.com
Article Courtesy of WOIO Cleveland 19 News
Picture Courtesy of Getty Images
