At most zoos, signs remind you: Don’t feed the animals. Stay behind the railings. Keep your distance. But one regular afternoon at the Detroit Zoo turned into something unforgettable—when one dad did what no one else dared.
Rick Swope, a truck driver from Michigan, was spending the day at the zoo with his wife and three kids. They were enjoying the exhibits when they reached the chimpanzee habitat—and things suddenly took a terrifying turn. A fight had broken out between two male chimps. Caught in the chaos was Jo-Jo, a more timid chimp who clearly wanted no part in the violence.
Trying to escape the fight, Jo-Jo slipped and fell into the deep, murky moat surrounding the enclosure.
Everyone watched in horror as Jo-Jo started to drown. The water was dark, and he was struggling to stay above the surface. Most people just stood there, shocked—unsure what to do or too scared to act. But Rick didn’t hesitate.
He jumped over the barrier and dove straight into the water.
Gasps echoed through the crowd. The moat wasn’t shallow, and the muddy water made it impossible to see anything. Jo-Jo had already disappeared beneath the surface. But Rick kept diving, over and over, while people on the edge pointed to where they last saw the chimp.
“I couldn’t see anything,” Rick said later. “The water was so dirty. I just kept going down until I finally grabbed him.”
When he came back up, he was holding Jo-Jo. He swam to the edge and hoisted the limp chimp onto a ledge near a cable that normally keeps animals from falling into the water. Jo-Jo barely moved—but then he looked at Rick.
“It was like looking into the eyes of a man,” Rick said softly. “It was like he was saying, ‘Won’t anybody help me?’”
Zoo staff shouted at Rick to get out—for his own safety. But he refused to leave without making sure Jo-Jo was OK. “He was still alive,” Rick recalled. “You could tell he knew what was happening.”
The crowd was stunned. A complete stranger had risked his life—not for attention or recognition—but simply because he saw a creature in need.
Years later, famed primatologist Jane Goodall would share that Jo-Jo’s life hadn’t been easy. He was brought to the zoo as an orphan after poachers killed his mother. He’d already faced loss and captivity—and thanks to Rick Swope, he’d survived yet another close call.
“If you see that look in their eyes,” Goodall once said, “and feel it in your heart—you have to help.”
Rick Swope’s act of bravery is more than just a rescue story. It’s a powerful reminder of the courage and compassion we’re all capable of—even in the most unexpected moments.
Share this story. Because kindness like this deserves to be remembered.
