The incident involving Harambe has drawn parallels to a similar scenario 20 years ago when a female gorilla cradled a child who had fallen into its enclosure and carried him to safety.
On that occasion, a three-year-old child had slipped 20ft into the gorilla enclosure at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo.
An eight-year-old female gorilla named Binti Jua - whose name means 'daughter of sunshine - picked up the unconscious boy, while carrying her own infant [called Koola] on her back, and protected him from the other animals.
In a remarkable show of maternal care, she cradled the child and carried him to an entrance where staff could safely reach him.
Binti Jua, now 28, is still living in the Brookfield Zoo gorilla exhibit, according to the website.
Koola gave birth to her own daughter, Nora, in August 2013 at the zoo.
Recent events at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden drew similarities to the 1996 incident. On Saturday, a 450-pound male gorilla named Harambe was killed after he was seen dragging a 3-year-old boy who climbed through a barrier and fell about 10 feet into the gorilla enclosure.
While Binti Jua was hailed a hero, 17-year-old Harambe was shot by a zoo employee with the boy between his legs. Zoo officials called the decision a "tough choice," but said the boy's life was in danger because Harambe was an "extremely strong" animal in an agitated situation.
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On that occasion, a three-year-old child had slipped 20ft into the gorilla enclosure at Chicago's Brookfield Zoo.
An eight-year-old female gorilla named Binti Jua - whose name means 'daughter of sunshine - picked up the unconscious boy, while carrying her own infant [called Koola] on her back, and protected him from the other animals.
In a remarkable show of maternal care, she cradled the child and carried him to an entrance where staff could safely reach him.
Binti Jua, now 28, is still living in the Brookfield Zoo gorilla exhibit, according to the website.
Koola gave birth to her own daughter, Nora, in August 2013 at the zoo.
Recent events at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden drew similarities to the 1996 incident. On Saturday, a 450-pound male gorilla named Harambe was killed after he was seen dragging a 3-year-old boy who climbed through a barrier and fell about 10 feet into the gorilla enclosure.
17-mo-old baby mountain gorilla Koola hanging from mother Binti Jua, who rescued unconscious 3-yr-old boy after he fell into gorilla habitat, at Brookfield zoo.
While Binti Jua was hailed a hero, 17-year-old Harambe was shot by a zoo employee with the boy between his legs. Zoo officials called the decision a "tough choice," but said the boy's life was in danger because Harambe was an "extremely strong" animal in an agitated situation.
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If Harambe had had the opportunity, he would have done the same thing.