Family Of Boy Who Fell Into Harambe’s Enclosure Had To ‘Go Into Hiding’ After Backlash

The family of the child who accidentally entered Harambe's enclosure was forced to "go into hiding" as a result of the intense response that followed the gorilla's death.

Silverback gorilla Harambe, who was 17 years old, was shot at the Cincinnati Zoo after three-year-old Isaiah Dickerson broke into his enclosure.

The enormous gorilla was killed by zoo staff, who said they had no choice because they feared for the child's life.

Credit: Harambe movie

Many people wondered whether a less-lethal solution could have been employed after Harambe's death, while others pondered the animal's original placement at a zoo.

Harambe's death also caused an unexpected internet sensation.

As part of World Gorilla Day, a new feature-length documentary titled Harambe was published on September 24 and features him as its focal point.

In order to address the divisive subject of animal confinement, the movie explores what happened to Harambe.

According to a press release: “Packed with rare unreleased photos and video of Harambe, the documentary features Narration by Peter Egan, along with exclusive interviews by Will Travers OBE and Dame Virginia McKenna of Born Free Foundation, wildlife expert Ian Redmond OBE, TMZ and Hollywood Raw podcast host Dax Holt, Dan Van Coppenolle [the man who named Harambe], and Jeff McCurry, Harambe’s personal photographer whose photo of Harambe went viral that became an iconic meme.”

The low 3ft barrier separating the public from the gorilla enclosure is one of numerous mistakes that are discussed in the documentary as contributing factors to the tragedy.

Credit: Harambe movie

Photographer Jeff McCurry, who took the image of Harambe that went viral, said: “Children tried to get into that so often. I had a standard speech that I gave to their parents when I would stop them from whatever they were doing that was dangerous.”

“I would tell them, ‘We’re not worried about the gorilla killing your kid – that's a 13ft fall to a cement floor. Your child is gonna die when it hits the floor.”

“But I mean, that was every day.”

The outcry, however, was directed upon the boy's mother despite the USDA finding that the zoo fences were not safe.

Narrator Pete Egan explains: “Petitions, death threats, local harassment by the public, and terrible memes were used to express people’s anger about Harambe’s death.”

“But this anger was misplaced and ruined the family’s life – forcing them off social media, and into living in hiding to keep Isaiah and his siblings safe.”

Michelle Gregg, Dickeron's mother, used Facebook at the time of the backlash to beg people not to "judge."

Credit: Harambe movie

In a post that was later removed, she wrote: “As a society, we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off a child. Accidents happen, but I am thankful that the right people were in the right place.”

The woman's son fell into the exhibit while she took care of her other three children, but Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters believed at the time that the situation did not fit the legal criteria of child endangerment.

“That parent must recklessly create a substantial risk to the health or safety of the child,” he said in a press conference.

Many others have now agreed with Deters' claim that the mother was neither careless nor negligent.

McCurry added: “It was not their fault. You know, crazy stuff happens and it happened to them, but it’s not their fault.”

“I just hope they don’t feel blamed because they’re not at blame, or at fault, at all – in any way.”