Jersey Zoo, The Channel Island, UK. A young boy, five year-old Levan Merritt is having a day out at the zoo with his family, having fun. He clambers up on the ledge to get a better look at the gorilla enclosure. He’s particularly impressed by the sheer size of Jambo, a giant silverback gorilla. As he steadies himself, Levan falls. Into the enclosure below…
Jambo quickly rushes over. People shriek in anguish. The boy’s going to be gored. Silverback’s are territorial and can react very aggressively when they feel challenged or threatened. But Jambo does something which shocks EVERYBODY. Instead of acting menacingly or violently, he stands guard over the boy who has been knocked unconscious by the fall.
The incredible incident was caught on film and has since been used as proof by zoologists that gorillas are not naturally aggressive and only react. They’re not proactively nasty. Watch Jambo in action. The big beauty…
