On August 19, 1996, a serene day at Brookfield Zoo in Illinois took a dramatic turn when a 3-year-old boy slipped away from his mother, climbed through a barrier, and plunged nearly 20 feet into the Western Lowland Gorilla Pit. The fall rendered him unconscious, leaving onlookers in shock and fearing the worst.​

Amid the collective gasps and cries, an 8-year-old female gorilla named Binti Jua approached the motionless child. With her own 17-month-old offspring, Koola, clinging to her back, Binti Jua displayed an extraordinary act of maternal instinct and empathy. She gently lifted the boy, cradling him in her arms, and carried him to a service door where zookeepers could safely retrieve him. This remarkable behavior was captured on video, showcasing Binti Jua’s careful handling of the child amidst six other gorillas in the enclosure. 

The boy sustained a broken hand and facial lacerations but made a full recovery after a four-day hospital stay. His identity and that of his mother were never disclosed. Binti Jua’s actions garnered international acclaim, challenging perceptions of animal behavior and highlighting the profound capacities for compassion within the animal kingdom. Her name, meaning “daughter of sunshine” in Swahili, became synonymous with altruism and the deep bonds that can exist across species. 

This incident stands as a testament to the complex emotional lives of gorillas and continues to inspire discussions about empathy and interspecies relationships.