There have been a lot of opinions flying around the internet recently regarding the killing of a gorilla, named Harambe, after a little boy fell into his enclosure.
Loads of people are pointing the finger of blame squarely at the kid's parents - but come on. You can't watch a kid every second of every single day, right? I know this isn't a popular opinion.
Anyway, someone who has a much more valid opinion than me is Levan Merritt, a British guy who hit headlines back in 1986 when he fell into a gorilla's enclosure at Jersey Zoo. The gorilla, Jambo, protected him until ambulance services could attend to him.
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Jambo protecting Levan. Credit: PA images
Levan spoke to The Sun and revealed that he believes they made the 'right decision'.
He said: "I know what it's like to come face to face with an enormous gorilla - absolutely terrifying.
"But my experience taught me they are also incredibly caring.
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"Watching the American video brought it all back. I felt for the boy but also felt for the gorilla. Did they have to kill it? Well, he wouldn't have known his own strength compared to a child, having lived in captivity and never touched a human infant.
"And he does grab the boy and drags him into the water at a terrifying speed. The four-year-old is tiny and could easily have been injured. So they made the correct decision to save the boy's life.
"In my case, Jambo made sure nothing bad could happen."
Levan, now 35, also added that he never blamed his parents for the fall. He said: "They felt guilty but I always told them it was my fault. I was a young lad, always wandering off, exploring things."
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What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
Words by Mel Ramsay
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Gorilla, Zookeeper, Harambe