Dad Lets Toddler Play With Gorilla (Video)
Gorilla and toddler gently playing together.
The video is amazing no matter what you think about a dad letting his toddler play with a gorilla.
The 300 pound gorilla gently carries around the 18-month-old as if she were his own. The two are playing together in a glassed in enclosure at an animal park in Great Britain called Howletts Wild Animal Park.
According to the Huffington Post, the owner of the park and the little girl’s dad, Damian Aspinall, can be heard on the video saying “I hope people who see this will … take an interest in the work that we’re doing at the Aspinall Foundation, and help gorillas in the wild.”
But it wasn’t the work with gorillas the public has focused on but the fact that a father would allow his young daughter to interact with a gorilla in such a manner. Is it safe?
It reminds me of the parents who let their 5-year-old swim with sharks this summer or the backlash the late Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, received after feeding a crocodile while holding his young son. The world freaked out, child welfare services was called, but in the end no charges were filed after the Irwins promised never to do it again. Mom Teri at the time said, “It was a wonderful sensory experience for him (the baby). He dug it.”
The little girl,Tansy, who is now an adult, told Good Morning America that she wasn’t frightened of the gorillas at the time: “I don’t remember specifically that video, but I definitely remember going in with the animals and just loving being around them. It was like playing with another brother or sister, really.” Her father added that the encounter wasn’t dangerous because “if you’re brought up with the gorillas and you’re part of the family group, it’s not risky at all.”
You can watch the video below. What do you think? Is this irresponsible parenting that should be considered a criminal action or is it a beautiful video showcasing the gentle nature of gorillas?
More From Monica on Strollerderby:
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You can also find Monica on her personal blog, The Girl Who.
of course there’s always a risk. if you do decide to put your kid in there, you should be ready for anything that can happen, even if the gorrilla is yours and you’ve trained it. good for him nothing happened.. personally, i would do it too, but if only i myself am in there too.