Visiting the zoo is usually a nice way to relax and to learn more information about wildlife. However, Rick Swope found out that zoo visits can also be dangerous and scary! This incredible story took place in 1990 when Rick Swope visited the Detroit Zoo and saved one chimp from drowning. You won’t believe what Rick Swope did while everyone was just watching.
20. Chimps
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Despite their small size and cute appearance, chimps can be quite mean, especially to each other! Zoos love having chimps because they bring visitors, but their mood can change in a matter of seconds.
19. They Love To Fight
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The scariest thing about chimps is that they love to fight. People who take care of chimps need to always be careful because even though they might be small in size, they are super powerful. So powerful that they can even pull limbs off!
18. Zoo Visit
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This zoo visit starts just like any other normal family activity. Rick Swope was watching the wild animals and having a good time. However, things took a sudden turn of events after he went to visit the zoo’s main attraction.
17. The Main Attraction
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The main attraction of the zoo were its chimps. Little did Rick knew, he would end up saving one of the chimps from drowning! Let’s see how that happened.
16. Enjoying His Visit
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Everyone was watching the chimps go around their business. This was an amazing experience, especially for the kids that were there. What happened next shocked everyone!
15. Starting To Fight
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Two of the chimps started to fight. At first, the visitors were intrigued by this and wanted to see what’s going to happen next. Rick Swope also decided to stick around.
14. Making Lots Of Noise
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It didn’t take long for the chimps to start screaming at each other. Things were heating up and everyone was filming the animals. Sadly, one of the chimps was pushed in a nearby dam…
13. Falling In Water
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Jo-Jo is the name of the chimp who fell into the water. This was a dire situation because chimps don’t know how to swim and the zookeepers didn’t want to save him. What Rick Swope did next will make you think he is a superhero!
12. Asking For Help
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As the chimp was yelling for help, Rick Swope decided that he needs to do something about this and jumped into the water. The craziest thing about this is that everyone was advising him not do anything, including the zookeepers.
11. The Chimp Is Scared
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Even though Rick Swope was in the water, the hard part was not over. The chimp was scared and he could always drag Rick down in the water.
10. Not Giving Up
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As this security camera footage shows, Rick Swope didn’t give up on the chimp and kept swimming. The next couple of pictures will send shivers down your spine!
9. Getting Close
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Rick Swope was doing his best to get to the shore, but the chimp was making this difficult. Just when Rick got next to the shore, he slipped on the mud!
8. Rick Falls Down
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Rick fell down and everyone started screaming for someone to come and help him. Unfortunately, no one had the courage to jump in the water and Rick was all alone. What do you think happened next?
7. Keep On Fighting
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Rick Swope didn’t give up and he kept on fighting. After a couple of seconds of slipping in the mud, Rick finally got back up. The security footage will show you just how scary this entire situation really was.
6. Security Footage
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Can you imagine how difficult it must be to swim with a scared chimp in your hands? Rick was definitely taking a huge risk by trying to save his life. Let’s see what he has to say about this.
5. He Needed To Help
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Rick says that while everyone was advising him not to jump in the water, Jo-Jo the chimp was looking into his eyes. That’s when he knew that he needed to save the poor chimp.
4. Taking A Risk
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Rick took a huge risk by jumping in the water, but it paid off. Do you think Rick Swope deserves to be called a hero?
3. Pat On The Back
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When Rick and Jo-Jo got on land, Rick patted him on the back. His mission was over and we can be sure that Rick is more than proud of what he did. He saved a life!
2. Jo-Jo Is Safe
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I don’t even want to imagine what could’ve happened if Rick Swope didn’t visit the zoo that day. Let’s just say that Jo-Jo was lucky that Rick was around.
1. Safe And Sound
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Even though Rick Swope’s heroic move was successful, we advise everyone to never get too close to zoo animals because you can never know how they will react.