CINCINNATI — A 3-year-old boy was injured after falling into a gorilla enclosure Saturday at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, police say.
The gorilla was shot and killed, zoo officials said.
Cincinnati police responded to a report of a child falling into the exhibit at about 4 p.m. Saturday.
At a news conference Saturday, Cincinnati Zoo President Thane Maynard said the boy crawled through a barrier and fell an estimated 10 to 12 feet into the enclosure, where he was then dragged around by the zoo's 17-year-old male gorilla, Harambe.
The boy was with the 400-pound gorilla for about 10 minutes before the zoo's Dangerous Animal Response Team deemed the situation "life-threatening," Maynard said.
"The choice was made to put down, or shoot, Harambe," Maynard said. "It was a difficult choice ... but we've never had a situation like this at the Cincinnati Zoo."
The boy, who has yet to be identified, was rescued from the enclosure and taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital, where he was listed with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.
The decision to shoot Harambe instead of tranquilizing him was made in the interest of the boy's safety, Maynard said.
"In an agitated situation, it may take quite awhile for the tranquilizer to take effect," he explained, "but certainly at the instant (Harambe) would be hit, he would have a dramatic response ... so that was eliminated as a best option."
The Dangerous Animal Response Team is said to have followed procedures and did what they could to secure the safety of the child, Maynard said.
The zoo is temporarily closed as police investigate the area around the gorillas.
