Most zoos have clear warnings around animal enclosures, cautioning visitors to keep a safe distance.
But that didn’t stop one courageous truck driver from taking action when he saw a chimpanzee’s life in danger.
Rick Swope was visiting the Detroit Zoo with his wife and three children when they witnessed a startling scene: two male chimpanzees began fighting inside their enclosure.
One of them, Jo-Jo, who was clearly less aggressive and trying to avoid the conflict, ended up falling into a deep moor surrounding the exhibit.
Jo-Jo began to drown while the crowd watched in horror, many unsure of what exactly was happening. As the chimp struggled in the murky water, the situation grew more desperate.
Without a second thought, Swope leapt into the enclosure and dove into the water.
He managed to reach Jo-Jo and pull him to safety, leaving the spectators stunned by what they had just seen.
“It was the saddest thing I’ve ever witnessed,” Swope later recalled. “The chimp had his arms raised, just his head above water, staring at the crowd. It was like he was pleading for someone to save him.”
Despite repeated warnings from zoo staff urging him to get out, Swope refused to leave without Jo-Jo.
“People on the sidelines were pointing me in his direction,” he said. “The water was so filthy I couldn’t see anything. I had to feel around underwater until I finally found him.”
Swope was able to lift Jo-Jo over a barrier that was meant to prevent animals from falling into the moat. Though Jo-Jo appeared weak and motionless, there was still life in his eyes.
“He was looking right at me. I believe he understood what was happening,” Swope said. “When I looked into his eyes, it felt like I was looking into the eyes of a human being. The message I saw was, ‘Isn’t anyone going to help me?’”
According to renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, Jo-Jo had a difficult past.
He was brought to the zoo at a young age after poachers killed his mother. “If you’ve ever seen that kind of expression in an animal’s eyes and felt it in your heart, you know you have to act,” she said.
This unforgettable act of heroism is one of the most powerful rescues ever witnessed at a zoo.
Rick Swope risked his life to save an animal in need—a true testament to his courage and compassion.
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