Here is my issue. Many times, we saw kids being either ignored or rushed through the place because their parents were on the phone or talking to someone else. I was almost knocked down by a little boy who was running crazy, and his parents did not even acknowledge the situation because they were busy talking to the couple next to them. And the little girl next to me at the stingray petting pool did not get to pet one because her mother did not want to take the time to get her to settle down a bit and not be afraid each time they came close. It was sad.
Now we come to the whole incident where the boy fell into the gorilla exhibit and the gorilla was subsequently killed. I obviously was not there. And I have no doubt that the zoo staff know more about the animal than most of the public and acted appropriately. I just wonder, given what I observed this past week, if this incident was way more preventable than we know. Placing blame does not bring an endangered animal back, but if looking closely at the incident keeps it from happening again, then I say gently assign the blame where it belongs. In an intelligent way. If the zoo habitat needs to be redesigned, then do it. If there needs to be a zoo staffer assigned to monitor the balconies of the "open" areas, hire them. And if parents need to bring aunts or uncles or grandparents with them to make the ratios of adult to child even, for safety, go for it.
I don't mean to sound judgemental. And while I think my kids are pretty great, and that Ray and I did a pretty good job, at least so far, we did lose Sarah at the parish fair once. She got away from us and got in line for the roller coaster. She was 4. We were very lucky.
