Jambo

Jambo at the Jersey Zoo (lelion.co.uk)

It was a boisterous Sunday afternoon in August 1986 when all of the sudden Levan Merritt a young boy from Luton UK tumbled into the gorilla enclosure at Jersey Zoo, fracturing his skull and breaking bones. The gorillas went to scrutinize; the first gorilla of the band to arrive was the bands silverback Jambo. The multitude of people cried out in fear for the unconscious boy.

As Jambo made his way to the child an over ambitious Rafiki got too close for Jambo and the silverback positioned himself between the band and the boy. To the band the gesture clearly said “do not touch”. Jambo besides the protesting crowd reached down and touched the pale skinned youngster and then sniffed his fingers. When Levan started to recapture consciousness the small boy started to weep. When Jambo heard he rubbed the child’s back to try and ease the boy.

Then Jambo moved himself and the band away allowing humans to retrieve the boy. Jambo had made the point to people that Gorillas aren’t as aggressive as they thought and that some can be compassionate and gentle. Miserably on September 16th, 1992 Jambo was found dead.