Jeremy Fugleberg

jfugleberg@enquirer.com

Donald Trump on Tuesday backed the Cincinnati Zoo's decision to kill a gorilla who zoo officials feared would harm a 3-year-old boy who fell into the gorilla's enclosure.

"I think it's a very tough call," the presumptive Republican nominee said when asked about the incident during a news conference. "They probably didn't have a choice. You have a child, a young child, who is at stake and you know, it’s too bad there wasn’t another way."

The boy climbed over a barrier and through bushes before falling into a moat within the enclosure on Saturday afternoon, attracting the attention of Harambe, a 17-year-old, 450-pound western lowlands gorilla. Fearing for the boy's safety, a zoo team shot the gorilla dead.

Based on his remarks, Trump seemed to have seen video of the incident.

"I thought it was so beautiful to watch that powerful, almost 500-pound gorilla, the way he dealt with that little boy," He said, referring to moments in crowd-shot videos in which the gorilla appeared protective of the child. "But it just takes one second. It’s one second. It’s not like it takes place over, well, ‘he’s going to do it 30 seconds from now.’ It takes one little flick of his finger, and I will tell you, they probably had no choice.”

Trump was speaking Tuesday at Trump Tower in New York to address questions about money he raised for veterans' groups. Emails to spokespeople for Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders weren't immediately returned.

Also on Tuesday, Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters announced the Cincinnati Police Department would investigate the incident. On Monday, Cincinnati Zoo Director Thayne Maynard said the U.S. Department of Agriculture will also investigate. The USDA investigates the zoo's exhibits twice a year and enforces the Animal Welfare Act and Endangered Species Act.

The incident has drawn global attention, with some casting scorn upon the zoo for killing the gorilla and others condemning the boy's parents. Others have supported the zoo's decision, including celebrity zookeeper Jack Hanna.

The boy was taken to the hospital but was released Saturday night. His family released a statement through the zoo thanking zoo staff for its swift decision and saying the boy was "doing just fine."

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to say the boy is 3 years old. Police said late Tuesday they had received "conflicting reports" on the boy's age but confirmed Tuesday that he is 3.