At most zoos, signs warn visitors to keep a safe distance from the animals. But one ordinary day at the Detroit Zoo turned into an extraordinary moment of courage—when a truck driver named Rick Swope did what no one else dared to do.
Rick was visiting the zoo with his wife and their three children, enjoying the exhibits like any family would. As they approached the chimpanzee enclosure, something unexpected happened: a violent fight broke out between two male chimps. Among them was Jo-Jo, a gentle chimp who clearly wanted no part in the aggression. Trying to escape, Jo-Jo slipped and fell into the enclosure’s deep, murky moat.
To the horror of everyone watching, Jo-Jo began to drown. The water was deep, and he struggled to stay afloat. Visitors stood frozen, unsure of what they could do—some didn’t even realize the chimp was in danger. But Rick saw it differently.
Without hesitation, he climbed over the barrier and jumped into the water.
The crowd gasped. This was no shallow pool—Rick couldn’t see through the dirty water, and Jo-Jo had already gone under. But people in the crowd pointed to where they’d last seen the chimp, guiding Rick as he dove again and again, searching.
“I couldn’t see anything,” Rick later said. “The water was too dirty. I just kept diving until I finally found him.”
When Rick surfaced with Jo-Jo in his arms, he carried him to a ledge just beyond a cable meant to keep the animals from falling in. The chimp was limp, barely holding on. But his eyes met Rick’s—and in that moment, something unspoken passed between them.
“It was like looking into the eyes of a man,” Rick said quietly. “And the message was, ‘Won’t anybody help me?’”
Even as zoo staff yelled for him to get out of the enclosure for his own safety, Rick refused to leave without Jo-Jo. “He was pretty lifeless,” Rick recalled. “But you could see he was still alive. I think he knew what was going on.”
The rescue left everyone speechless. A total stranger had risked his life—not for fame, not for glory—but for a helpless creature in need.
Jane Goodall later shared that Jo-Jo’s life had already been marked by tragedy. He was brought to the zoo as a young orphan after his mother was killed by poachers. He’d survived loss and captivity, and now, thanks to Rick Swope, he’d survived one more challenge.
“If you see that look in their eyes,” Goodall said, “and feel it in your heart—you have to jump in and help.”
Rick Swope’s act of bravery wasn’t just a rescue—it was a reminder of the compassion we’re all capable of, even in the face of fear.
Share this unforgettable story with your loved ones—because courage and kindness are worth spreading.
