A happy ending. For everyone.

I’d have left the fates play out. And not shot and killed the gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo. Of course, I wasn’t in charge. And perhaps the zoo authorities  knew better. When a 4-year-old boy fell into the gorilla enclosure. They barely hesitated. Taking the life of the gorilla. To save the boy. It was a quick reaction. An interesting decision. To put the life of a human. Above that of a gorilla. My goal. Would have been. To take a risk. In an attempt to save the lives of both the boy and the gorilla. Yes, that may have been too risky. Maybe the gorilla would have harmed and killed the boy. But then, maybe he wouldn’t have.  Something similar happened. Ten years ago. At the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. A 3-year-old toddler. Fell in with a gorilla. This time. The gorilla picked up the child. Carried him around. Placed him where he could be easily rescued. And the story had a happy and poignant ending. For the child. For the gorilla. --Jim Broede