Most parents come to realize quickly that taking their eyes off little children for even a few seconds can result in big trouble. Some do not. It is up to the rest of us to keep their children safe, apparently.

A news story that had many people talking recently had nothing to do with the presidential election campaign. It was about a tragedy at the Cincinnati Zoo.

There, a 4-year-old boy somehow managed to get into the enclosure where gorillas are kept. A full-grown male gorilla seized the child and, at one point, dragged him through a pool of water. Zoo personnel shot and killed the gorilla to keep the boy from being harmed.

Cincinnati police were investigating the incident.

Federal officials were looking into whether the zoo took adequate precautions to keep people out of animal enclosures.

Children can be incredibly inventive in finding ways to put themselves in danger. Even the most conscientious, attentive moms and dads sometimes have moments of panic when they cannot spot the kids immediately.

That is where the rest of us come in. Of course parents should watch their children every second when in potentially dangerous places such as zoos, swimming pools, near highways, etc. And no parent should leave it up to others to keep track of the little ones.

That does not relieve other adults of a certain amount of responsibility, however.

So if you see a child engaging in potentially dangerous behavior, do something about it. Tell their parents, if you can spot them quickly. Intervene directly if that does not work. Trust us, mom and dad will be grateful you did not hesitate or walk away when their child’s safety was at risk.