The director of a Cincinnati zoo has defended the decision to shoot dead a 17-year-old gorilla after a boy fell into its enclosure saying it was not a 'gentle thing' and had seen it 'take a coconut and crush it'.
Harambe, a western lowland silverback gorilla, was shot with a rifle with the boy still between his legs, in the zoo's enclosure on Saturday.
Zoo director Thomas Maynard said the four-year-old child - who has not been named - was in imminent danger because the gorilla was confused and acting erratically.
Video footage showed the gorilla dragging the child by the ankle through the moat in its enclosure while terrified onlookers screamed.
The clip also appeared to show Harambe standing guard over the child and the two even shared a brief moment holding hands.
The zoo shot the beloved animal after he dragged the boy through the moat and the director defended the decision saying it would do the same thing again
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