The killing of a rare silverback gorilla on Saturday at the Cincinnati Zoo has sparked outrage across the world, from people on social media to celebrities.
Kaley Cuoco, one of the stars of the hit television series "Big Bang Theory," sounded off on her Instagram account. "I'm sure I will get tons of backlash (per usual) I mean let's be honest, I wear the wrong sweatpants and the entire world has something to say about it, but once again, another senseless horrendous animal being killed over people not using their brains."
But world-renowned Zookeeper Jack Hanna defended the decision to kill the gorilla. Hanna said he saw video of the gorilla jerking the boy through the water and knew what would happen if the animal wasn't killed.
"I'll bet my life on this, that child would not be here today," Hanna told WBNS-TV.
Many are calling for the parents of 3-year-old child to face some type of punishment, from fines to jail-time. A petition on Change.org wants authorities to investigate the child's home environment and hold the parents responsible for the gorilla's death.
"This beautiful gorilla lost his life because the boy's parents did not keep a closer watch on the child," reads the petition. "We the undersigned believe that the child would not have been able to enter the enclosure under proper parental supervision."
The petition has already garnered over 300,000 signatures.
