Mom of Boy Who Got Gorilla Killed: 'I Watch My Kids'

Michelle Gregg, a bad parent? Not according to Michelle Gregg, the mother of a 4-year-old boy who got into a gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo on Saturday, prompting a response team to shoot the animal dead, reports People. "My son ... fell in the gorilla exhibit at the zoo," writes Gregg in a Facebook post that's been deleted (per one description, her account is also gone). "God protected my child until the authorities were able to get to him." Saying her child escaped with "a concussion and a few scrapes," she adds: "As a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off of their child and if anyone knows me I keep a tight watch on my kids. Accidents happen..."

Gregg is responding to social media users who showered her with abuse after the death of Harambe, a 450-pound, 17-year-old, endangered gorilla. "I am SICK&TIRED of LAZY people who do not WATCH THEIR CHILDREN. RIP #Harambe you did not deserve to die," reads one, while another vented that "#harambe was killed because of the stupid and their irresponsible parenting...their picture should be made public." There's also a petition with over 160,000 supporters so far seeking a criminal investigation into the boy's parents, and a vigil is being held Monday for Harambe at the zoo, the AP reports. Meanwhile, the zoo has released a statement defending its actions and saying tranquilizers weren't an option because they take too long to kick in. (The zoo is facing a backlash of its own.)