It was a bustling Friday afternoon at the city zoo. Families and tour groups filled the pathways, their chatter mixing with the sounds of the animals. But the cheerful atmosphere shattered in an instant when an old man, near the chimpanzee enclosure, suddenly stumbled and fell over the railing.
The man, a grandpa named Arthur visiting with his daughter’s family, had leaned against the barrier to catch his breath. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and before his family could react, he lost his footing and tumbled over the low wall, landing with a soft thud on the grassy moat of the chimpanzee habitat. Visitors screamed in horror.
Panic erupted. Inside the habitat, the entire troop of chimpanzees stopped and stared. Their initial silence quickly turned to loud, agitated hoots and chest-beating. Zoo staff scrambled, radios crackling as they prepared for the worst-case scenario. A full-grown chimp is incredibly strong and territorial; a lone, vulnerable human in their space was a dire emergency.