Media Reports

THE WORLD  Saturday, August 17, 1996

[BROOKFIELD, Ill.] A female gorilla rescued a toddler who fell into a Brookfield Zoo exhibit Friday and cradled the boy as she took him to zookeepers.

The 3-year-old boy injured his head falling 18 feet onto concrete in an area with seven gorillas. He was still alert when taken to a hospital, but was listed in critical condition later.

Binti, a 7-year-old female with a baby gorilla on her back, picked up the child, cradled him in her arms, and placed him near a door where zookeepers could retrieve the boy, said zoo spokeswoman Sondra Katzen.

"Another gorilla walked toward the boy and she kind of turned around and walked away from the other gorillas and tried to be protective," said Carrie Stewart, a zoo visitor.

As zookeepers sprayed water on the exhibit to keep the other gorillas away from the boy, Binti, who was raised by humans, took control of the situation, said another zoo spokeswoman, Melinda Pruett-Jones.

"They controlled the animals beautifully and had an emergency medical crew working on the little boy as soon as they possibly could," said Pruett-Jones.

Gorillas do not seek out confrontation but will defend their families if approached, said Kelly McGrath, spokeswoman for the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Katzen said she did not know how the child got over a three- or four-foot railing. She said she believes the boy had run ahead of his mother.

The child was in critical condition late Friday night at Loyola University Medical Center. His parents were not available to comment.

Mother Volunteers From The International Association -- Busy Sorting WGorilla Rescues Gorilla Rescues Boy After Fall Into Exhibit