Are Gorillas dangerous to people?

Are Gorillas dangerous to people?

In the wake of the tragic killing of Harambe the gorilla, we explore the evidence for whether these great apes pose a danger to people.Cincinnati Zoo in the US is facing a public backlash after shooting dead one of the gorillas in its care.

                                             

A young boy got into the gorilla enclosure and was confronted by a silverback male gorilla named Harambe. The gorilla repeatedly dragged the boy through the water. To save the boy, the zoo's staff shot and killed Harambe.

The story is particularly sad because Harambe was a western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), a subspecies of western gorilla that is critically endangered.

The public outrage has mainly focused on whether it was truly necessary to kill Harambe. The zoo has defended its actions, arguing that non-lethal methods such as tranquiliser darts are slow and would have put the child at more risk. Gorilla experts have, in the main, supported the zoo. The Cincinnati police have said they will investigate the child's parents' actions.

The biggest difficulty is figuring out how dangerous Harambe truly was. But decades of research into gorillas does offer some clues. The truth is that gorillas need very careful handling.

                                         

Generally, gorillas are very shy and reserved towards people. They will attack only if they are surprised or threatened or if a person behaves in the wrong way. If the human makes an unexpected movement, the silverback male can react with horrific roaring and bluff charges. This means that he runs straight to the victim with great speed and stops just in front of him, sometimes at a distance of only 1 m. If the person then behaves submissively by crouching down and looking at the ground, he has nothing to fear. However, if he runs away instead, the excited gorilla is provoked even further: He will follow the fugitive and bite him into the body part he can seize first, most frequently a leg or buttock. The result of such an attack usually is a deep wound.

Gorillas are on the edge of extinction - habitat encroachment, man and disease are their main threats. All sub-species of gorillas have fallen to dramatically low levels. The Gorilla Organization is working to reverse this trend through a programme of community based conservation, anti-poaching patrols and conservation education. By donating to the Gorilla Organization you will be helping to save this magnificent species from extinction.

For More Details : www.gorillas.org/Donate

Thank you for supporting the Gorilla Organization

Please Share This Article To Get More Help. Thanks