Twenty-nine years ago, an 8-year-old gorilla made headlines after she rescued a boy who fell into her enclosure.
The incident happened on August 19, 1996, at Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. A 3-year-old boy slipped away from his mother, climbed over the enclosure barrier, and fell 24 feet into the gorilla’s pit.
The video shows an 8-year-old female gorilla named Binti Jua, whose name means “Daughter of Sunshine” in Swahili, inspecting the unconscious boy and tending to him. The boy was severely injured from the fall. His hand was broken, and he also had a large gash on the side of his face.
Binti showed immense care and concern for the young boy, and what she did was nothing less than an act of love. She lifted him into her arms, cradling him as a mother would, and carried him gently to the entrance of the service door, where zoo workers were able to retrieve him. All the while, her 17-month-old baby, Koola, clung to her back.
Zoo officials said that Binti was raised by humans after her mother abandoned her, and this may explain her close affinity and concern for the young boy. Her empathy baffled experts, and the incident became a topic of debate surrounding animal altruism.
The gorilla received widespread attention from international media following the incident. Visitors came in droves to see her at the zoo, and she also received special treats from the zookeepers as a way of thanking her for her actions.
Binti is now 37 years old and currently lives at Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois.
