WREG.com

Zoo safety

The gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo will remain closed over the weekend while the zoo installs a new, taller barrier.

The new barrier will be three-and-a-half feet tall.

That’s a half-foot taller than the fence a 4-year-old boy was able to slip past this week.

He then made it through four more feet of plants and shrubs, before falling into the exhibit with the gorillas.

A male gorilla was then shot and killed to save the boy.

A federal inspection less than two months ago found no problems with the zoo’s gorilla exhibit.

That exhibit was one of the first in the country, to have a more open viewing area that mimics the animals’ natural habitat.

The concept is very popular now around the country, including at the Memphis Zoo.

Matt Thompson is the Zoo’s Director of Animal Programs.

He stopped by to talk about how recent events could have an impact on the Zoo.

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