Watching a toddler fall into a zoo exhibit has to be one of the scariest things for a parent to experience. We all remember what happened to that toddler who fell into a wild dog exhibit last fall. They're not called wild animals for nothing. But one 3-year-old got lucky. A gorilla rescued a toddler who fell into its exhibit, cradling the boy and protecting it from the other gorillas. It even carried the boy to the door to make it easier for paramedics to take the toddler away.
Some people are calling it a miracle, but is it, really? I think we need to give primates a little credit for being nurturing, even of other species. We are, after all, very closely related. Primates have been known to help hurt and lost animals of other species before.
Still, I think this toddler is lucky this protective gorilla (maybe also a mother?) got to him first. Things could have turned out differently otherwise. I won't even ask how that toddler fell into the enclosure in the first place. Most parents know they need to be careful with their kids, but it just takes a split second of your attention being diverted for something awful to happen. Imagine the horror you would feel, watching your child fall not just from a great height (looks like the fall knocked the kid out), but into a gorilla exhibit!
Thank goodness these were gentle giants and the boy is safe and sound now.
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
Are you surprised that a gorilla would be protective of a human child just like a human mother would be?