We believe wild animals, like chimpanzees, don’t belong in zoos — they deserve to live free. Even with space and care, captivity can’t match life in the wild.
Still, we had to share this incredible rescue story.
In 1990, at the Detroit Zoo, a chimp named Jo-Jo fell into a moat after being chased by a more aggressive chimp. He struggled to stay afloat as a crowd watched in shock.
One of them, 33-year-old truck driver Rick Swope, was visiting with his family. Seeing Jo-Jo drowning, Rick jumped into the restricted enclosure — risking his life to save the 200-pound chimp.
Chimpanzees are much stronger than humans, and the area was dangerous. But Rick didn’t hesitate. After one failed attempt, he managed to pull Jo-Jo to safety. The chimp was in rough shape — but alive.
“He was looking at me. I think he knew what was going on,” Rick later said.
Now that’s heroism.
Watch the rescue here: