A fundamental point to start with: wild animals, such as chimpanzees, ideally should live free rather than confined in zoos. Regardless of how spacious or well-maintained their enclosures are, their natural habitat remains the best place for them.

That said, we felt compelled to share a remarkable rescue video showing a man who ignored zoo restrictions and warnings to jump into a chimpanzee enclosure and save the animal. This act truly exemplifies courage.

In 1990, a chimpanzee named Jo-Jo accidentally fell into a man-made moat inside the Detroit Zoo’s chimpanzee habitat. He had been chased by a more aggressive chimp and ended up leaping over the fence meant to keep him away from the water.

Jo-Jo was visibly panicked, struggling to keep afloat, while around ten stunned onlookers watched helplessly as he began to drown.

Among the spectators was Rick Swope, a 33-year-old truck driver visiting with his wife and three children. Seeing the distress in Jo-Jo’s eyes, Rick felt compelled to act and plunged into the water to rescue the great ape.

It’s important to remember that chimpanzees possess strength up to five times greater than humans. Additionally, the enclosure was off-limits to visitors and housed other potentially aggressive chimpanzees.

Despite these risks, Rick did not hesitate. His family watched in amazement as he managed to pull Jo-Jo from the water onto dry ground. The rescue was far from easy—at one point, Rick lost his grip and Jo-Jo submerged again, but after a second attempt, Rick succeeded in saving the 18-year-old, 200-pound (90 kg) chimpanzee.

Though Jo-Jo was in poor condition after the ordeal, he was alive. Rick recalled, “He was looking at me. I think he understood what was happening,” as he told the Chicago Tribune.

This brave rescue highlights an extraordinary act of selflessness, as Rick risked his own safety to save an animal in peril.

Please consider sharing this video to honor Rick Swope’s heroic deed.