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Outrage Over Death of Gorilla; Setbacks Threaten Rio Olympics; Dreaded Superbug Found in U.S. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired May 31, 2016 - 08:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[08:31:01] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Outrage all around following the death of Harambe, that rare silverback gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo. He was, of course, shot and killed to save a little boy who had slipped into the animal's enclosure. The zoo's director defends the decision, saying the boy's life was in danger. And if you don't know gorillas, when you look at this, you may not see what an expert would.

So let's discuss. We have Shauna Steigerwald. She's a reporter with "The Cincinnati Enquirer." She's been following this story. And we have Richard Johnstone-Scott. He was a gorilla keeper for 46 years. Now, in 1986, he was the keeper of a gorilla named Jambo, and that gorilla was in a similar situation, wound up projecting a little boy who fell into his enclosure. He actually wrote about this in his book, "Jambo: A Gorilla's Story."

Thank you both for being here.

Let's start with what's happening right now on the ground. Shauna, you have layers of questions here. Why was the kid not near the parent? How did the kid get into the enclosure? What does that mean about the enclosure? Where are we in our understanding on those points?

SHAUNA STEIGERWALD, REPORTER, "CINCINNATI ENQUIRER": Well, yesterday the Cincinnati Zoo held a press conference and they gave some more details about exactly what happened. What we know is, is there's a stainless steel barrier that has been in place for 38 years, the same type of barrier, and the child apparently went over that barrier, then crawled or climbed about four feet through some bushes and then dropped into a 15-foot drop down into a moat, which is about a foot and a half of water. You know, he was splashing around and visitors at the zoo, of course, were alarmed, and that alarm drew the attention of Harambe, the gorilla, and he then decided to go and investigate and started dragging the child around. So, at that point, you know, zoo officials determined that the child's life was in danger.

CUOMO: Right. Two quick follows. One, if it's so easy to get in, how come no gorilla has ever gotten out? And, what do we know about the circumstances surrounding the parents' loss of control of the child?

STEIGERWALD: I don't know that I would say that it's easy to get in. It's been 38 years since this barrier has been in place. I mean I haven't been to see the barrier since the incident, so I can't really describe it from firsthand experience. But the child, you know, got through somehow. You know, and it's something that hasn't happened in the 38 years that the exhibit has been open. So that - that was the situation. What was your second follow-up question?

CUOMO: The parents.

STEIGERWALD: Uh-huh.

CUOMO: What do we know about how they lost control of the kid?

STEIGERWALD: Well, you know, I can't - you know, there have been all sorts of accounts from various witnesses and what not. You know, not having been there, I can't speak to that. I haven't spoken with the parent. You know, but there are certainly witnesses giving different testimonies as to what exactly happened.

CUOMO: Gotcha.

STEIGERWALD: You know, I can't speak to what the parents' mindset was.

CUOMO: Gotcha. Gotcha. OK.

Richard, thank you for being with us this morning. I know this isn't the most pleasant of topics for you to discuss, but you do have some direct understanding, not just of gorillas, but of this scenario. We have some video of what happened with Jambo back there in the '80s. What can you tell us about what your mode of thinking about how to assess the gorilla's behavior went?

RICHARD JOHNSTONE-SCOTT, GORILLA KEEPER FOR 46 YEARS: Well, the way - it's a totally different situation in that the young boy that fell over the wall in Jersey was - was rendered unconscious. He fell 12 feet from the wall. And so he was unconscious. And when the crowd started drawing their - the attention of the gorillas towards the boy because they were screaming and naturally upset about it all, the gorilla - Jambo came over and sat by the boy. And he - within a few minutes it became quite clear that he posed no threat to little Merit (ph), the little chap that had fallen in. And so his behavior was some - it was just typical of him. I mean I looked after Jambo for more than 15 years and, you know, he was truly a gentle giant. And at no point in time in that - throughout the whole incident was he ever a threat to the child.

[08:35:01] CUOMO: And what do you see that makes this a different situation?

JOHNSTONE-SCOTT: I beg your pardon?

CUOMO: What do you see in the Cincinnati Zoo situation that requires different analysis?

JOHNSTONE-SCOTT: Well, the situation was, the boy was fully conscious throughout. I mean he fell - fell into the enclosure or slipped down. I don't know. I don't know the layout of the Cincinnati enclosure. But, obviously, he went into a moat, a shallow moat, and Harambe actually is on the film that I've seen, grabs him by a leg and pulls him through the moat, which looked quite scary. But I understand that he was actually pulling the child away from where the people who were shouting and screaming, obviously concerned for the little chap. He pulled him away from that area. And then, when he stopped, it seemed to me that he actually almost helped the boy to his feet, which was quite - quite amazing. I don't know what happened when - I mean there's only a few minutes' worth of footage, but I understand the boy was in the enclosure for 10 minutes or something?

CUOMO: Yes.

JOHNSTONE-SCOTT: So what happened during the rest of that time, I have no idea. But from what I could see on that film, I don't think Harambe was actually looking to hurt that child. I mean, if he - if he had that - if he'd intended to hurt that child, it would have been over in seconds.

CUOMO: Right.

JOHNSTONE-SCOTT: You know, it would have been wham, bang, and that would be the end of it.

CUOMO: What the zookeeper says -

JOHNSTONE-SCOTT: But that didn't happen. And once he -

CUOMO: What the zookeeper says is, you're right, it didn't look like it was intentional. Their concern was what the gorilla would do unintentionally, the way he was dragging the kid around on a concrete surface that was covered by water, and what would happen if they used the tranquilizer dart after they had tried to use coaxing methods to get Harambe away from the kid and he refused to take their instructions. Do those added elements make their ultimate decision more reasonable to you?

JOHNSTONE-SCOTT: Yes, no, I - I sympathize - I sympathize with the staff. It's a very difficult situation. And like I said, because the boy in Jersey was unconscious, I think everything was much more relaxed. Whereas, in Cincinnati, obviously, that gorilla was very tense. You see him standing over the boy. That's typical strutting macho position, with his lips tucked in, which denotes tension. Not necessarily aggression, but tension. And he was really quite uptight about the whole situation. And I don't know how they tried to coax the child away or whether they tried to encourage Harambe to release the boy. I don't know how - what methods they employed to do that. But my thought at the time was, let him calm down. Just let him calm down, leave him, because he's - if he was going to hurt that child, he - that would have - that would have happened straight away.

CUOMO: Richard, not an easy situation, but thank you for your perspective. Appreciate it.

Shauna, as well. Good to get the word from the ground of how the facts are progressing. Thanks to both of you.

Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: OK, Chris. There's turmoil at the worst possible time and it threatens to overshadow the Brazil Olympics. Are there Rio games, in a word, cursed? We go there with the evidence, next.

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[08:42:19] CAMEROTA: Time now for the five things to know for your new day.

Bernie sanders back on the trail in California after a security scare in Oakland. Four protesters apprehended by Secret Service agents after trying to rush the senator on stage.

Donald Trump expected to reveal donation details from a veterans fundraiser he held back in January, while documents from the Trump University playbooks are being unsealed also this afternoon on a judge's orders.

The Cincinnati Zoo says the right call was made when its gorilla, Harambe, was put down. Animal right activists starting an online petition calling for an investigation of the parents of the boy who slipped into that gorilla enclosure.

More severe weather in the forecast for Texas and the plains states, including high winds, hail, and possible tornadoes, like this twister spotted Monday in northeast Colorado.

The NBA finals are set. Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors will take on LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Golden State beating Oklahoma City in a deciding game seven advance. Game one of the finals Thursday night in Oakland.

For more on the five things to know, you can go to newdaycnn.com for the latest.

Chris.

CUOMO: All right. When you look at Rio de Janeiro, man, it just seems like the perfect place to hold the summer Olympic or any advantage. It's just gorgeous. But when you look a little closer, it is anything but what it appears. We have CNN's senior international correspondent Ivan Watson to show us what's going wrong and at the worst possible time. Take a look.

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IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's hard not to be seduced by Rio de Janeiro. This spectacular city soon to be the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Two months before the start of the games, construction crews are putting in the final touches at the Olympic venues.

GUSTAVO NASCIMENTO, HEAD OF OLYMPIC VENUE MANAGEMENT: Everything is going to be ready on time. We're going the deliver the park fully commissioned the 24th of July. WATSON (on camera): But despite Rio's beauty, the city and Brazil as a

whole are facing some pretty daunting challenges. A whole series of unexpected setbacks leading some to wonder, are Rio's Olympics somehow cursed?

WATSON (voice-over): Just days ago, a warning from more than 100 international doctors, calling for the games to be postponed or moved because the mosquito-born Zika virus could threaten an expected half a million foreign visitors. That view rejected by the World Health Organization, which does advise pregnant women to avoid the Olympics entirely because of the risk of sever deformities to unborn children.

And then there's the political and economic crisis. Turmoil after Congress suspended Brazil's elected president in an impeachment process last month. And high-level corruption scandals, during the worst economic recession in generations, which has left more than 10 million Brazilians unemployed.

[08:45:13] The economic hardship aggravating Rio's epidemic problems with violent crime. Daily gun battles between police and drug gangs in the city's impoverished favelas, as well as a surge in robberies. This month, members of the Spanish Olympic sailing team mugged at gun point.

FERNANDO ECHAVAM, SPANISH OLYMPIC SAILOR: And we just turned around to see what was happening and we saw the pistols like this.

WATSON: Olympic sailors also worried about Rio's notoriously polluted bay, a dumping ground for much of the city's raw sewage.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We - we don't want to swim in it.

WATSON: Rio's mayor warns this isn't a first world city.

EDUARDO PAES, MAYOR OF RIO DE JANEIRO: Don't come here expecting that everything will be, you know, perfect. We live in a country that has economic crisis, a country with lots of inequality. So with all the problems that we've seen concerning corruption, briberies, but the city will be much better than it was when we got the games.

WATSON: But even one of the mayor's new infrastructure projects is now a deadly failure.

WATSON (on camera): This brand new, spectacular cliff side bike path was supposed to be a showcase project for the Olympics. Instead, it became a tragic setback when the waves took out part of the trail, killing two people last month.

WATSON (voice-over): In the turbulent run-up to the Olympics, a virtual storm of bad news that leaves you wondering what could possibly happen next?

Ivan Watson, CNN, Rio de Janeiro.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CAMEROTA: Now, in addition to Zika, there is another even more frightening public health threat that has arrived in the U.S. Infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci is here to explain.

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[08:50:37] CAMEROTA: A dreaded superbug has been found in the U.S. for the first time. Doctors disclosing that a 49-year-old Pennsylvania woman was infected with an E. Coli strain that is resistant to a last resort antibiotic. So what does this mean for the rest of us? Let's bring in the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Dr. Fauci, thanks so much for being with us on NEW DAY.

Am I right to say that this superbug sounds much scarier than the Zika virus? This is something that cannot be treated with even the last resort antibiotic.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIR., NATL. INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Well, it's the first time that this particular microbe with that resistant capability has been seen in the United States. This has been around for a while. It originated likely in China where they feed antibiotics to animals to promote their growth and to prevent infection, which ultimately selects for resistance to a particular type of antibiotic called kalistin (ph), which we refer to as kind of the last resort of an antibiotic when you have resistance to all other antibiotics.

So the idea that it is now in the country, one, is not surprising because when it was in China and in South America and Europe, sooner or later it was going to come to the United States. Our chore, our job right now is to make sure it does not spread -

CAMEROTA: Yes.

FAUCI: And to make sure we have good hospital control in order to make sure that we don't see this go beyond this. But this requires a lot of vigilance.

CAMEROTA: But - but how much does it scare you? I mean - but - but, I mean, given that it is resistant to antibiotics, how much does it -

FAUCI: No, it doesn't scare me. I think when you use the word "scare," that just adds a degree of emotional response to what that, you know, is not appropriate. This is a challenge we have. We know that we have an issue with antibiotic resistance. We have it and have had it in this country and worldwide for some time now. This is just an added additional threat because the resistance to this particular antibiotic is one that we don't want to lose that capability because it's one that we used when we run out of antibiotics. That's the threat.

CAMEROTA: Right. I mean that - right. And the reason that it does sound like a scary prospect is because it's called the last resort antibiotic. When everything else has been tried, and if there's a bacteria or a superbug that hasn't worked with any other antibiotic, this is the one that's called in.

Let me tell you a few more things that we know about this 49-year-old woman's case. She is - was - we don't exactly know how she was infected, but she went to the doctor for a seemingly simple problem. She had a urinary tract infection. And she was discovered to have this E. Coli strain that is, as we said, resistant to the last resort antibiotic. Her strain was treatable with other antibiotics. So she ended up being OK. But this is the first case of this so-called MCR-1 gene resistance. So how would she have gotten this?

FAUCI: Well, that's a good question. You don't know how you get it. Once it's in the environment, you could get it through food, you can get it just through contamination from substances that you got into contact with. This happens all the time. This is not surprising when you get the introduction of a resistant microbe. And any of a number of ways she could have gotten it.

Luckily for her, that her microbe, though it was resistant to kalistin, which is the antibiotic that we're talking about, fortunately for her, it was sensitive to a number of other antibiotics. The trouble we'll get into is when this particular gene that you mentioned, the MCR-1 gene, when it gets into a microbe that is also resistant to all other antibiotics, then you lose the capability of treating it with kalistin. Then you have a problem. That's the thing that we're concerned about, that this does not spread -

CAMEROTA: Right.

FAUCI: To those microbes that already have a lot of resistance associated with that.

CAMEROTA: Right. So, Dr. Fauci, very quickly, what should the U.S. be doing about this now that it's here?

FAUCI: We have a major effort to combat antimicrobial resistance. In fact, the president himself gave an executive order about a year and a half ago, together with an action plan called Combating Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria, or CARB, and multiple agencies, we here at NIH, as well as the CDC in Atlanta, have major programs now to try to address stopping the spread of antimicrobial resistance and developing countermeasures in the form of new antibiotics that can replace those that have now been resistant.

[08:55:15] CAMEROTA: OK.

FAUCI: So there's a major effort going on right now.

CAMEROTA: That is comforting to hear. Dr. Anthony Fauci, thanks so much for all of the expertise. We appreciate it.

All right, "The Good Stuff" is next.

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CUOMO: An Afghanistan naval veteran is doing his part to make sure we remember the fallen in today's "Good Stuff." Listen to this. His name is Ron White. He is a two-time national memory champion and he's using his unique ability in a special way. He committed to memory the names of 2,300 men and women who lost their lives in Afghanistan.

CAMEROTA: Oh, my gosh.

CUOMO: He's now touring the nation writing them on a giant traveling wall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON WHITE, U.S. NAVY VETERAN: I think it's important for people to see - see the wall, you know, and understand the scope of the sacrifice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: What - it's so amazing that he can memorize these -

CAMEROTA: It's remarkable.

CUOMO: Let alone for the reason he's doing it. He writes the names in the order the individuals passed away in order to keep their memory alive. It was a good reminder for Memorial Day that just went by that we remember those who lost their lives.

[09:00:07] CAMEROTA: What a beautiful effort.

All right, time now for NEWSROOM with Carol Costello.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Hi. Have a great day.

NEWSROOM starts now.