Lorraine Kelly: We must try harder to keep gorillas like Harambe in their natural home

Tributes paid to Harambe (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

THE death of Harambe the gorilla should never have happened.

That little boy should never have been able to get into the enclosure at Cincinnati zoo and his mother should have kept a closer eye on him.

There should have been a better system in place so Harambe could have been tranquillised rather than shot.

It was a real tragedy and it could have been avoided.

The poor creature, a western lowland gorilla, was born in captivity and never knew what it was like to live wild and free.

His species is endangered, but was the best way to save him really to plonk him in the middle of an American city where hordes of families and children stopped and stared for a few minutes?

The killing of Harambe has again raised the difficult issue about whether species at risk from extinction should be kept in captivity.

Last October I went to Uganda to see mountain gorillas in the wild.

I have always admired these majestic creatures and was enthralled by the story of Diane Fossey whose story was told in the movie Gorillas In The Mist.

Half of the 880 mountain gorillas left in the world are now found in Uganda.

Civil wars and poaching devastated their numbers, but in the Ugandan forest of Bwindi the incredible rangers, guides and conservationists are doing a remarkable job of keeping them safe.

Harambe, a western lowland gorilla, was fatally shot to protect a 4-year-old boy who had entered its exhibit. (Jeff McCurry/Cincinnati Zoo)

Local people realise eco-tourists like us bring much-needed revenue to the country and are right behind their efforts.

Because mountain gorillas do not survive in captivity, it is vital to keep their environment protected, and to encourage small groups of tourists to ensure there’s a decent living to be made for local people.

The gorillas in zoos, like poor dead Harambe, are from the lowlands but none of these creatures should be behind bars and seeing them in the wild is humbling and magical.

You can’t go too close, and if they come to you, you need slowly back away.

Not because of any danger from these gentle vegetarians, but human beings are full of germs and diseases that could prove fatal to them.

I spent a couple of hours with two groups and it is something I will remember all my life.

I know not everyone will have the chance to experience such a fantastic close encounter with a mountain gorilla, but I believe we need a rethink of how we try to save them.

Every effort should be made to keep them safe in their own country and only when something drastic like war or a natural disaster occurs should we think about finding a home elsewhere.

There has to be an alternative to just keeping them caged.

Zoos have improved dramatically and continue to do so, but for intelligent creatures like Harambe was there has to be a better way.

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