For those standing near the chimpanzee exhibit, an ordinary day at the Detroit Zoo quickly descended into chaos. The audience was mesmerized as the two chimpanzees giggled and chased each other around the area, but then everything changed.
Rick Swope was standing right in front of the fence and decided to step in and help instead of watching.
Image/story source credits: Animal Planet – YouTube Videos
One of the chimpanzees slipped and fell into the moat surrounding the exhibit just as the other began to chase each other around the trees in the cage. Apparently the chimpanzee was fighting to stay afloat, but zoo staff refused to assist it.
Rick told Chicago Court How desperate the situation was and how scared the animal looked.
“It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. This chimpanzee raised his arms and his head popped out of the water. He was looking at the crowd. It was like he wanted someone to rescue him.
Rick noticed that no one else was willing to act, so he did. He explained what happened once in the country to Chicago Court.
Image/story source credits: Animal Planet – YouTube Videos
Everyone is pointing me in his direction. The water is so dirty you can’t see through it. I swam around the bottom. I finally found him…
He’s pretty lifeless, but you can see he’s still alive. He is looking at me. I think he knows what’s going on… The monkey never had any intention of doing anything to me.
I was thinking, what do you have to do now? Do you do oral on a monkey? I remember thinking it might bite me if I did.
Then I looked up and saw another one baring its teeth down the hill. I don’t know if it was chasing the monkey or chasing me, but I got out of there.”
Rick said he doesn’t seek attention when people surround him as soon as Rick leaves the cage. He couldn’t bear to see an innocent creature pass before his eyes!
Image/story source credits: Animal Planet – YouTube Videos
This man is a HERO! You will see in the video below. We need more people like him.
Check out the HOT story below about a hero and a chimpanzee that deserve to be saved. Please ‘SHARE’ this story with friends or family members!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqbclCNriPo
