After consulting veterinarians, and excluding the use of anesthesia due to risks involved, the park's CEO and animal manager made the joint decision to shoot the two chimps.
[23] Numerous Swedish celebrities and public figures also expressed sadness or condemnation, including Johanna Lind, Jessica Almenäs, Uno Svenningsson, Micael Bindefeld, Thomas Di Leva, Lars-Åke Wilhelmsson, and Linda Lindorff.
When interviewed about the incident, the noted Dutch primatologist Frans de Waal expressed shock that the 3-year old chimpanzee infant Torsten was among those killed by the zoo, as such a young ape did not pose any physical danger to humans.
[25] The Dutch behavioural biologist Patrick van Veen, chair of the Jane Goodall Institute commented on the incident that recapture by non-lethal means, such as tranquilizers, should always be the first priority during chimpanzee escapes, and that lethal force should only be used in the worst-case scenario.
[29] On the other hand, the zookeeper Jonas Wahlström, director of the Skansen Aquarium, defended the zoological parks of Sweden as necessary and positive forces in society.