What started as a typical family zoo visit turned into a life-or-death drama when Rick Swope spotted Jo-Jo the chimpanzee flailing in the enclosure’s deep moat. While other visitors froze, the quick-thinking truck driver vaulted over the barrier and into the water without hesitation.
“The water was so dark I couldn’t see anything,” Swope described. “I just kept feeling around until I found him.” Zoo employees urgently warned him to exit, but Swope persisted, eventually pulling Jo-Jo to safety across a submerged safety chain. The rescued chimp’s grateful gaze told the whole story – in that moment, human and primate shared a profound connection.
Primatologist Jane Goodall praised Swope’s actions, noting how Jo-Jo’s difficult past made the rescue especially meaningful. “When you see that look in their eyes,” she said, “you know you must help.” Swope’s split-second decision reminds us that courage often appears when we least expect it.
