An animal rights activist has told Sky News a US zoo was wrong to shoot dead a gorilla to protect a young boy who had entered its enclosure.
Kirsty Henderson, campaigns co-ordinator at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), said the life of an animal cannot be treated more importantly than a child's.
She was questioned by Sky's Colin Brazier, who repeatedly pressed her on whether the zoo was right to shoot the Western Lowland gorilla, named Harambe, dead.
Eventually she said: "I don't think so. We can't put the life of an animal above that of a child and this should never have happened in the first place.
"(Harambe) should never have been in this cage, he should have been in the wild living his life."
Brazier replied: "If this gorilla killed a three-year-old child … are you happy to live with that and explain it to the parents?"
Ms Henderson replied: "I think systems should have been in place, there should have been a secondary barrier.
"The zoo should have done more to protect people from these animals.
"But please let's not forget that these animals are wild animals, and they belong in the wild, away from cages."
Police are investigating the circumstances which led to the 17-year-old gorilla being shot dead at Cincinnati Zoo.
Officers said over the weekend no charges were planned but now it has emerged they are still gathering information and charges are possible.
The animal, whose species is listed as endangered, was shot minutes after dragging the child through shallow water and up a rock wall.
More than 400,000 people have signed a petition calling for the parents of the four-year-old concerned to be investigated.
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