Video of Mother Gorilla Rescuing 3-Year-Old Boy Resurfaces After Cincinnati Zoo Incident

Harambe the gorilla and a 4-year-old boy made headlines Saturday when the boy climbed into his enclosure, fell 15 feet, and encountered the 400-pound male silverback gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo.

A video of the incident shows Harambe dragging the boy from one side of the enclosure to the other before being shot dead by an animal response team.

Many people, including celebrities, have voiced outrage at the killing of Harambe, saying he was trying to protect the boy and didn’t deserve to die. Zoo officials, however, claim they would make the same decision again if need be.

If all this seems familiar, that’s because an incident just like it occurred almost exactly 20 years ago at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago.

Back in 1996, a 3-year-old boy managed to climb into the gorilla enclosure at the zoo and fell 20 feet knocking him unconscious. This story, however, has a much different ending.

Spectators watched as a mother gorilla, Binti Jua, went over to the unconscious boy and cradled his lifeless body, all while carrying her 17-month-old baby Koola on her back.

Binti Jua helped keep other gorillas away from the boy until she was able to deliver him to a zookeeper waiting near the enclosure entrance. Binti Jua was dubbed a hero.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xr1YjwDNm4

The actions of both gorillas seem to starkly contrast each other.

A police investigation into the Cincinnati boy’s family is currently taking place.