After incident at Cincinnati Zoo involving boy & gorilla, some wonder whether it could happen here

MILWAUKEE/CINCINNATI -- Zookeepers shot and killed a rare gorilla on Saturday, May 28th after a three-year-old boy slipped into its enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo, triggering outcry over how the situation was handled. If they had to do it again, they would respond the same way, the zoo's director said Monday, May 30th.

The Milwaukee County Zoo, like the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens, is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. That means both zoos were inspected by experts and found to meet their standards.

The gorillas at the Milwaukee County Zoo have a lot of admirers.

"They definitely love the monkeys and the primates," Brad Luebbe said.

Kids spent their Memorial Day Monday, May 30th leaning on railings, trying to get a closer look at the gorillas. This, as Cincinnati Zoo officials dealt with the fallout from the terrifying incident on Saturday.

A boy was dragged through the water and around the enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo by a 450-pound gorilla named Harmabe.

Zoo officials say to enter the enclosure, the boy went under a railing, through wires and over a moat wall.

"The trouble with barriers is, whatever the barrier is, some people can get past it," Thane Maynard, Cincinnati Zoo director said.

Maynard on Monday defended the exhibit's security barriers, calling the exhibit "safe," and he defended the decision to shoot 17-year-old Harambe.

"This child was being dragged around. His head was being dragged on concrete. This was not a gentle thing," Maynard said.

At the Milwaukee County Zoo, officials say you'll find walls, cages, wires, bars and moats designed to keep people out, and keep animals in.

"We have redundant safety systems in place throughout the zoo," Alex Waier, Milwaukee County Zoo bird curator said. "We also routinely drill for any potential incident that might occur, whether it be animals or nature-related."

The Milwaukee County Zoo also has a veterinary team ready to administer fast-acting anesthetics and a weapons team made up of keepers.

"We practice routinely with deputies, with the sheriff's office to make sure we're all up to snuff with our weapons handling skills," Waier said.

The feeling among parents at the Milwaukee County Zoo Monday seemed to be that the incident in Ohio this weekend was an isolated one.

"I actually thought about it and I don't know that I've ever seen an exhibit that I feel my kids would have climbed into," Maureen Baker said.

Milwaukee County Zoo officials said they're not taking any different action after the incident in Cincinnati. They say they double check policies often, and are inspected by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums every year.