Social media erupts with concern for wildlife
Two incidents show how people harm the wildlife animals like gorilla and tigers spread onto social media. First is Harambe, a 17-year-old male western lowland gorilla, was killed Saturday at the Cincinnati Zoo to save the life of a four-year-old child who
Second is the relocation of the firs batch of all 137 tigers that the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has planned to take away from Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua Yannasam-panno, more widely known as the Tiger Temple.
And then, the officials found the dead cubs were frozen together with a number of other dead animals including a binturong - a protected species also known as a bearcat - as well as chicken meat for feeding live tigers.
Death of Harambe raised up controversial the decision of the zoo and blame the child’s parents flowing over online.
A Dutch primatologist and ethologist Franciscus Bernardus Maria wrote on his Facebook Page “Frans" de Waal” (https://www.facebook.com/notes/frans-de-waal-public-page/rip-harambe/10154127508562200/): “I find it very hard to decide what the Cincinnati Zoo should have done in the case of the human toddler and Harambe, the silverback male gorilla. He showed a combination of protection and confusion. He stood over the child, held him up, moved/dragged him through the water (at least once very roughly), stood over him again. Much of his reaction may have been triggered by public noise and yelling.
“It is a horrible dilemma. I am sure the zoo staff is devastated (even though activists often depict zoos as prisons, they are full of people who deeply care about and greatly respect animals), and I myself am devastated that such a beautiful primate was killed. It is a great loss for the species, but we also mourn the individual life of a primate who had done nothing wrong.
At least, we can all agree that people should watch their children! A special petition is going around calling for the boy's parents to "be held accountable for the lack of supervision and negligence that caused Harambe to lose his life".
@DeviBrown: Animal forced in captivity for entertainment of humans. Human wrongfully enters animal's protected space. Animal killed. SMFH. #RipHarambe
@maddidolan: He was an innocent creature and he did not deserve to die. #RipHarambe #justiceforharambe
@Thomas_miller5: That gorilla wouldve been a better parent than the mother #RipHarambe
Meanwhile, Cincinnati Zoo said that the Zoo’s Dangerous Animal Response Team responded to the life-threatening situation and made the difficult decision to dispatch the gorilla (Harambe).
“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,” said Zoo Director Thane Maynard. “This is a huge loss for the Zoo family and the gorilla population worldwide.”
Its also said through @CincinnatiZoo: Cincinnati Zoo Devastated by Death of Beloved Gorilla.
World Wildlife Fund has found 40 dead tiger cubs in a freezer in Kanchanaburi’s Tiger Temple. WWF has commended the Thai authorities for taking definitive action to permanently remove the tigers from the temple to facilities in Ratchaburi. WWF was dismayed last month when the Tiger Temple was granted an official zoo permit by the wildlife department. This was despite longstanding allegations and ample evidence that the Tiger Temple was trafficking tigers into the illegal wildlife trade.
In addition to the Tiger Temple, other facilities with captive tigers should also be investigated to ensure tigers don't fall prey to illegal wildlife trafficking and abuse, the WWF said. Facilities found in violation of international and national wildlife laws must be prohibited from acquiring, owning and breeding tigers, it said
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