It's because the tiger had already killed him by the time an armed response could get there.
If Harambe had torn that kid in half (as he could have done easily) then Harambe would still be alive. But because Harambe was a gentle giant, he died for our sins. And the world has been punished ever since.
Yes, they killed him because he'd almost certainly eventually kill the kid. If he killed the kid immediately, it's more likely he wouldn't have been killed much like the tiger wasn't killed.
I know it's been 10 years but it's crazy to me that people are mythologizing what happened. Harambe was actively harming the child and was not listening to commands to move away. They had no choice but to kill him. It was the right call.
And if the dog was in an enclosure - say, if they're carefully confined into your backyard - and someone hops the fence and trespasses onto your property and subsequently gets harmed by the dog - I don't think the dog should be put down in that scenario either.
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u/FreeTheDimple 3h ago
It's because the tiger had already killed him by the time an armed response could get there.
If Harambe had torn that kid in half (as he could have done easily) then Harambe would still be alive. But because Harambe was a gentle giant, he died for our sins. And the world has been punished ever since.