It was a typical day at the Detroit Zoo when a male chimpanzee named JoJo fell into the muddy water around the new chimp exhibit and almost drowned as zoo employees watched helplessly.
The near-tragic incident occurred when two chimps were playfully chasing each other around their exhibit. One of the chimps slipped and fell into the new 6-foot-deep moat designed to keep the chimps safely in their enclosure, and JoJo, who couldn’t swim and wasn’t buoyant like humans, quickly became distressed.
Knowing that chimpanzees are dangerous, naturally territorial, and seven times stronger than humans, zoo staff knew they couldn’t safely enter the exhibit. As horrified zoo visitors watched in fear, a courageous bystander took action and jumped into the moat to rescue the nearly drowned chimpanzee.
Now in the water, Rick Swope searches anxiously for the chimp, but JoJo is difficult to spot in the murky water. Zoo visitors assist him by shouting directions while urging zoo personnel to do anything to assist in the rescue.
Eventually, Rick locates the chimp’s large, lifeless body and pulls it out of the water onto the grassy bank. JoJo stares into his eyes and Rick leaves quickly before the other chimps can exhibit any hostility toward him.
Fortunately, Rick was present that day and was able to rescue JoJo from drowning. Rick and JoJo were both fortunate that the other chimpanzees did not attack or harm them.
Since Rick is a husband and father, his family must also be grateful for the way the events of the day turned out. Without a doubt, JoJo owes his life to Rick’s bravery and selflessness.
Please share this remarkable rescue tale with your loved ones.
Rewritten Source: https://dogdispatch.com/man-saves-chimpanzee-from-drowning-while-zoo-staffers-refuse-to-help/