Story below...
Gorilla Rescues 3-Year-Old Who Fell Into Zoo Exhibit
Adriana Velez
May 23, 2013
"Watching a toddler fall into a zoo exhibit has to be one of the scariest things for a parent to experience. We all remember what happened to that toddler who fell into a wild dog exhibit last fall. Theyre not called wild animals for nothing. But one 3-year-old got lucky. A gorilla rescued a toddler who fell into its exhibit, cradling the boy and protecting it from the other gorillas. It even carried the boy to the door to make it easier for paramedics to take the toddler away.
Some people are calling it a miracle, but is it, really? I think we need to give primates a little credit for being nurturing, even of other species. We are, after all, very closely related. Primates have been known to help hurt and lost animals of other species before.
Still, I think this toddler is lucky this protective gorilla (maybe also a mother?) got to him first. Things could have turned out differently otherwise. I wont even ask how that toddler fell into the enclosure in the first place. Most parents know they need to be careful with their kids, but it just takes a split second of your attention being diverted for something awful to happen. Imagine the horror you would feel, watching your child fall not just from a great height (looks like the fall knocked the kid out), but into a gorilla exhibit!
Thank goodness these were gentle giants and the boy is safe and sound now.
http://thestir.cafemom.com/toddler/155936/gorilla_rescues_3yearold_who_fell
If the child is lying in the case lifeless and unconscious in need of protection the animal is going to be much less aggressive. Falling into the water probably saved the life of the kid but very sadly is what cost the gorilla his.
The difference might be that a female got to the kid first, not a silverback.