There have been so many news stories, articles and commentary on social media about the tragic situation over the weekend that at this point I am fairly sure you would have to live in a cave to not have at least heard about it.  In case you do live in a cave, here is what I know about the situation with the little boy who fell in the Gorilla exhibit in Cincinnati:

• He fell 10 feet into the moat
• He fell 12 feet into the moat
• He fell 15 feet into the moat
• He was seriously injured but with non-life threatening injuries
• He came out without a scratch
• The gorilla rushed him but did not hit him
• The gorilla approached him cautiously only after hearing him splash in the water
• The gorilla did not intend harm, he almost seemed to be protecting the boy
• The gorilla violently was dragging and throwing the boy in the water
• It took 10 minutes before anything was done by rescue team
• It took 15 minutes before anything was done by the rescue team
• The boy had his hand in his mother’s back pocket to stay close and in a flash he was gone
• The boy’s father crawled out onto the ledge to jump down into the moat
• The person who filmed the footage crawled out onto the ledge to jump down into the moat
• Eyewitnesses say she was on her phone and not paying attention until they saw him in the water
• Eyewitnesses say the boy was gone in an instant and he was seen crawling out onto the ledge and was pursued immediately by family and spectators alike

From reading up….here is what else I know:

• Jungle Jack Hanna supported the zoo’s choice to kill the gorilla because there was no other realistic option
• A large part of the community did not support the choice to kill the gorilla and sees the tragedy of killing an innocent endangered animal because there were other options
• A large part of the community ponders how in the world the zoo could have such an unsecured area that a child could breach it that quickly
• PETA did not support the choice to kill the gorilla OR have him in captivity in the first place for our entertainment
• A child slipping away from a parent can happen to anyone in an instant
• The mother is completely responsible for the death of that gorilla, is a neglectful parent and clearly was not watching her child and should have him removed from her care to be raised in foster care.
• The mother has received several death threats
• A gorilla is dead and a boy  is alive

And lastly….here is what else I know:

• A 4 year old boy is alive
• NOTHING.  ULTIMATELY, I KNOW NOTHING.  AND NEITHER DO YOU.

Yes, its a tragedy no matter what.

Not gorillas…..I know….but I own the image.