Gorilla rescues 3-year-old boy who fell 24 feet into his gorilla enclosure

 

 

PP Cherian Dallas

Chicago: Binti Juwa, a western lowland gorilla, has become a hero after rescuing an unconscious 3-year-old boy who fell into his gorilla enclosure at the Brookfield Zoo outside Chicago.

The gorilla safely picked up the boy and handed him over to zookeepers waiting at the door of his enclosure.

The boy, whose name has never been publicly released, spent four days in the hospital, but only suffered a broken arm and facial injuries.

After the incident, which lasted only five minutes, Binti Juwa became a major attraction at the zoo, receiving gifts and letters from around the world. Several people reportedly offered money to adopt Binti Juwa, and an Illinois grocer reportedly gave them 25 pounds of bananas as a token of gratitude.

Binti Juwa, who arrived at the Brookfield Zoo in 1991 from the San Francisco Zoo, celebrated her 37th birthday.

According to National Geographic, western lowland gorillas typically live to be 35 years old in the wild, but usually live longer in human care.