jack hannah is backing up the zoo's decision to kill harambe, a silver back gorilla. that gorilla dragged a 4-year-old boy to a mote after the boy fell into the enclosure. hannah says the gorilla has unbelievable power and can squish someone like a coconut. >> you know, we love our animals, they're like our family. i can't see how that guy, that did this, my heart goes out to him today they'll live with this the rest of their lives. >> critics say the zoo could have use the a tranquilizer and some are calling for charges against the mother of the child. authorities say that will not happen parent losing a child is hard enough, so imagine when the grieve is compiled with a surprise tax bill. we explain why it's happening and what's being done to fix it. >> reporter: a graduate, a son, a brother. >> i still think about him every day. >> reporter: andrew wall had just received his diploma mt. st. marys when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. not longer he died. >> this was a really traumatizing event. >> reporter: andrew's brother eric and the rest of the wall family we

as you saw jack hannah on "good morning america."of his explanation supporting the zoo's decision. >> what about all the people online who say why not tranquilize the gorilla instead of shoot it to kill? what do you say to that? >> working with researchers to tranquilize gorillas i have seen with other animals, once dart would go into that big beautiful silverback male, what is he going to do with a child there? he will jump like you would or any other animal or anybody. jump like this with the power the animal has, it's uncomprehension. magnificent creature. there is no doubt in my mind that child wouldn't be here today if they didn't make that decision at the zoo. scott: the discussion continues online. we have posted the story to the facebook and the twitter pages. where y coming up next on "abc7 news at 4:00" -- a third grader falls off the scooter and is taken to the hospital. the injuries didn't come from the fall. i'm kevin: kevin: with the explanation coming up. michelle: still ahead at "abc7 news at 4:00" -- millennials now

that, again, from jack hannah. some people are also suggesting that the remaining gorillas should be placed in sanctuary away from people but, again, dave and gasia, this debate is very emotional. i think what everyone wants is a more clear investigation of the zoo enclosure people are asking, how did that child get under there? whether the mom was watching closely her child and taking her eye away. >> i did see a report where a witness says that the child was screaming, mommy, i'm going in that cage and mommy said, no, you're not, yes, i am. no, you're not. >> as a parent, you know, my kids are bigger now and even when they were little, i mean, they didn't really run away from me very much but as a parents, would you like to think that the zoo's enclosure, any zoo's enclosure would not be easily accessible to a kid even if they got away from you for a moment. >> heartbreaking all the way around. >> pam, thank you. >>> time is 7:46. let's check in with sal to get you to where you need g how are we looking? >> we ar

>>reporter: wildlife expert jack hannah tells cbs he agrees a thousand% with the zoo's decision. >> thank goodness a human being is alive because the decision cincinnati zoo made. >>reporter: the gorilla's death is sparking social media outrage towards the mom. online pets shun calling for just physician has more than 200,000 signatures. it wants the boy's mother to face charges. >> . kimmo o'connor says moments before she took this video she heard the young boy and mom arguing. >> i'm going to go in. no you're not. i'm going to go in. no you're not. o'connor heard a splash. >> he was pulling the boy underwater by his ankle his head badging against the wall as he's climbing up. so that's the part that people didn't see. >>reporter: the boy's family released a statement saying he is home and doing just fine. going on to say we extends our heartfelt thanks for the quick action by the cincinnati zoo staff. we know that this was a very difficult decision for them and that they are grieving the loss of their gorilla. the zoo says the exhibit barrier is adequate and officials are looking at whe

. >> wildlife expert jack hannah tells cbs he agrees 1,000% with the zoo's decision. >> they made the correct decision. thank goodness a human being is alive because the decision of the cincinnati zoo made. >> the gorilla death is sparking outrage towards the mom. an online petition, justice for harambe has 200,000 signatures. it wants the. >> brent:'s mother to face charges. kim o'connor says moments before she took this video she heard the young boy and mom arguing. >> i'm going to go in. no you are not. i'm going to go in. no you are not. and o'connor heard the splash. he was pulling the boy under water by is a ankle. his head is banging against the wall, climbing up. so that's the part that people didn't see. the boy's family released a statement saying he is home and doing just fine. going on to say, we extend our heartfelt thank for the quick action by the cincinnati zoo staff. we know this was a very difficult decision for them, and that they are grieving the loss of their gorilla. >> the zoo says its barriers are adequate and officials are looking at whether there are ways to

and in the neck hour we'll be joined by jack hannah director of the columbus zoo and aquarium. >>> nowtive in a wild shooting rampage sending people running for their lives in the suburbs. the scene leaving people in a normally quiet family-friendly houston neighborhood shaken and shocked. police say that this all started when one of the men walked into an auto shop yesterday morning and opened fire killing a customer and putting a community on lockdown. the gunman allegedly arming themselves with ar-15s, randomly shooting at anything and anyone that came into their path, including riddling a police car and helicopter with bullets. one man describing the chilling moment when he came face-to-face with one of the suspects. >> the dude looked and seen me across the street and shot at me. >> police shot and killed one of the suspects. the other is in custody. all four people and two officers, they were injured, but they are expected to be okay. >>> and here is a new challenge for the white house. former new mexico governor gary johnson winning the libertarian nomination at the party's conv

mike: today, jack hannah defended the actions saying the tranquilizer might have agitated the gorillae. >> what will he do? jump like you would like anybody. jump like this, with the power the animal has it's beyond comprehension. they had to do something quickly. the dart takes too long. the child wouldn't have a chance. mike: some question the zoo's design by the zoo argues safety barrier is adequate. p.e.t.a. says this demonstrates why primates shouldn't in captivity. >> it makes me sad they are put in here. mike: many blame the boy's parents calling for accountability. >> i wish parents would hold to the kids at the zoo. mike: after ten minutes he was rescued surviving with a concussion and a few scrapes. mike carter-conneen, abc7 news. jonathan: so far the boy's parents have not been criminally charged related to the incident but we are told it could change. michelle: there is so much blame to go around to a lot of people here. jonathan: you understand as parents you turn your back and if you have a couple of kids and one -- you get that. how in the world can a 4-year-old climb i

jack hannah says the zoo director made the right call. as a director of a zoo also in ohio, this hits super close to home. what's your take on the situation? i have worked with gorillas for over 30-something year. i have a home in rwanda. i can tell you when i first saw this on tv, when the child is there, he jerks the child, you heard the noise in my ear, but the people are screaming, the silverback. they have a human in theren do the alarm call. the girl gorillas go in the building. people screaming. all of a sudden he drags that child. that's a dead giveaway for me. i witnessed it in the wild. i witnessed it in the do long cal parks. i'm telling you that child would not be here today if they had not acted. deirdre: you are saying the silverback's job is to protect his tribe and the women are screaming. >> this animal is confused and upset. somebody would say why don't you tranquilize the animal. let's say that kid starting fighting that gorilla. you can't wait in a situation like this. i have seen a gorilla take a green coconut that yo

then i'm going to talk to animal expert jack hannah about what happened here and how people are now weighing in from all across the country, either critical of this little boy's parents, supportive of the zoo's drastic measures or outraged at what they are calling the senseless and needless death of a rare gorilla. cnn's jessica schneider first with the story. >> reporter: a day of panic and desperation at the cincinnati zoo. >> this is in a gorilla cage and a 3-year-old child has fallen in to the gorilla cage. >> reporter: a 4-year-old boy slips in to the gorilla's habitat and over a mote wall. suddenly harambe approaches the boy. his mother watches in horror as to what happens next. >> mommy's right here. >> oh, my god. >> oh, my god. >> okay. everybody back up. >> okay. >> mommy loves you. i'm right here. >> the young boy screams and the urgent calls to 911 can be heard on this bystander video. >> my son. >> harambe drag the boy around the mote and up a ladder for ten minutes as the zoo's dangerous animal response team anxiously decides what to do next. officials considered the incident v

jack hannah has weighed in onghd the situation and he said nod no brainer, they had to kilto lt gorilla.llhe was getting increasingl agitated.agated. and the crowd was getting more agitated.. and yeah. four-year-old boy, gorilla.orla >> 10 minutes in there with a w wild animal is a long time.. so we understand.eran and there are also people onpl o twitter blaming parents doesn'te do at any good at this point. p the parents should have keptts l better watch on the child. on ec it doesn't do any good at this s point.in i'm saying in my opinion, move m forward. if the zoo can put up barriers we got tweets on the screen.hecr put up the barriers don betterte job. everybody involved do a bettervv job next time.im >> that young man, i mean, ismea going to need some psychologicac help.lp >> talking to my sister about ii this morning. mning she said can you imagine howow terrified that child was?ld w >> you know what i mean and a conversing i think the gorilla a was scared, too.ed, it was something out of his norr normal. >> are they trying to attack thk boy? i'm trying -- trying >> what's going on

. >>> world famous zookeeper jack hanna is speaking out indefense of the cincinnati zoo and the decision the kill the animal. hannah said they had no choice, that the child's life was in imminent danger. >> i mean this is something that's a no-brainer. this animal could have literally taken that boy, and i wasn't even want to describe it. so there was not a mill i will second to waste. there's animal life and human life involved, everyone. >> the little but he's family has released a brief statement thanking the staff for acting so quickly. in the meantime animal rights activists gathered outside the zoo to remember the life of the 17-year-old lowland gorilla. he was raised in the cincinnati zoo. lowland gorillas are an endangered species. critics of how the situation was handled have created a facebook page for the gorilla. so far it has received more than 41,000 likes within hours. the person who created the page says its purpose is to raise awareness for the gorilla's murder. >>> all right, to the weather now as we take a live look at the conditions outside. you can see oracle arena in the distance. another beau

joining us now on the phone is jack hanna, director of the columbus zoo. thank you very much, mr. hannahining us. i want to get your reaction. i know a lot of people are watching this and asking a similar question, was it appropriate to kill the gorilla was was tranquellizing him not enough of an option? >> well, two miles from where the gorillas live, i started in 1982. when it comes to gorillas, we lt first gorilla ever bonn here. you're talking about an animal that is quite large. you have human life and animal life. obviously the decision was made. obviously the right decision was made. people there right now at that zoo are suffering that work there. this is part of their family. there was no absolute choice. there was no other choice. the boy is at home now doing fine. so what i'm saying is when you have an animal this large, you see him dragging through the water there, if you tranquellize the animal, it takes five or ten minutes for that drug to take infect. all kinds of things happen in five to ten minutes. i know guides in africa that take me to see the gorillas and the silver