Man Fell Into A Gorilla Pit When He Was 5 Years Old. Now Listen To What He Says About Harambe The Gorilla
By Dreamer
You may have heard about the controversy over the shooting of a lowland gorilla named Harambe at the Cincinnati Zoo after a three-year-old boy slipped and fell into his enclosure.
One man, however, knows this situation all too well. In 1986, Levan Merritt fell into the gorilla enclosure at the Jersey Zoo. Now, he’s come forward regarding the Harambe controversy… and you really need to hear what he has to say.
When he was just five years old, Levan Merritt had his own close encounter with a gorilla when he fell into the enclosure at the Jersey Zoo. The footage is still utterly captivating.
The gorilla, Jambo, became something of a hero after he was observed protecting the unconscious boy from the other gorillas. To this day, experts believe that Jambo was acting to protect him.
Today, Levan had this to say about the Harambe incident: “I know what it’s like to come face to face with an enormous gorilla – absolutely terrifying. But my experience taught me they are also incredibly caring.”
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“Watching the video brought it all back. I felt for the boy but also felt for the gorilla. Did they have to kill it? Well, he wouldn’t have known his own strength compared to a child, having lived in captivity and never touched a human infant.”
“And he does grab the boy and drags him into the water at a terrifying speed. The four-year-old is tiny and could easily have been injured. So they made the correct decision to save the boy’s life.”
Salfordjc/Wikimedia Commons
“In my case, Jambo made sure nothing bad could happen.”
Man Vyi/Wikimedia Commons
Whether or not you agree with Levan’s opinion, what happened at the Cincinati Zoo is a real tragedy. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this terrible event.
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