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GORILLA THAT SAVED LEVAN'S LIFE

True Story Levan Merritt saved by Gorilla

By Dark SecretsPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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It was a story that gripped the nation - a five-year-old boy who was knocked unconscious when he fell into a zoo's gorilla enclosure and was touchingly protected by a giant male silverback named Jambo, who stood guard as the pack of apes circled.

Now, 30 years after the iconic video footage made headlines around the world, Levan Merritt has shared his memories of that fateful day and revealed how he cannot wait to take his two children back to the place that shaped him as a person.

The incident, on August 30 1986, had a profound impact on his life - from developing a permanent relationship with Jersey Zoo, to dealing with bullies at school who teased him with jibes such as 'Tarzan' and 'gorilla boy', to calling on the dramatic story as he impressed his wife-to-be, Amanda.

And the events that could have left such traumatic scars have done nothing to diminish his love of animals - including gorillas.

On the first day of their family holiday in Jersey, Levan slipped and fell 20ft down into the gorilla pit at the zoo

As Levan lay sprawled out on the ground, Jambo and the other gorillas came over to inspect

The 7ft tall 18 stone silverback male, Jambo, peered over to look at Levan who lay motionless on the concrete

In the remarkable incident that followed, Jambo stroked his back and protected him from the circling pack

Jambo then stood protectively over Levan, as he lay unconscious on the floor after the nasty fall

Levan's family screamed at him to remain still as he started to stir - his cries scared the gorillas away

As Levan lay crying on the ground, Jambo led the pack back into their little house in the corner of the pen

Ambulanceman Brian Fox (pictured) jumped down into the enclosure, and then tied himself and Levan with a rope to haul themselves out of the enclosure

Levan was the second youngest of four raised in a close-knit family in Horsham, West Sussex.

In the summer of '86, the Merritts had taken a trip to Jersey for a family holiday.

Along with his older brother Clint, 8, sister Stephanie, 10, and parents Stephen, 34, and Pauline, 28, Levan had visited the zoo to celebrate the birthday of his youngest sibling, Lloyd, who was turning 4.

Little did he know his trip to the zoo, on the first day of their vacation, would be broadcast around the world and catapult Jambo to international stardom overnight.

Thirty years on: Levan (pictured left, far right) with his brothers Lloyd, who was four at the time of the incident, and older brother Clint, who was eight, is now a father of two children, Leo (pictured together, right) and Riley

Levan (pictured with his two brothers) was teased at school and called names such as 'Tarzan' and 'gorilla boy'

At the start of their trip to the zoo, the children were engrossed by the spider monkeys and Levan remembered 'finding it funny as one of them peed on my Dad.'

Tired of the monkeys, their curiosity quickly turned to the gorilla pit.

As Stephen lifted Clint on his shoulders to get a better look at the majestic animals, Levan decided to follow suit by clambering up the wall - or as he put it, 'it was a case of boys being boys'.

In the terrifying moment that followed, he slipped and fell 20 feet into the pit, snapping his arm and fracturing his skull in the process.

As he lay motionless on the ground, a 7ft tall 18 stone silverback male - called Jambo - slowly approached him.

As the Merritts and a crowd of onlookers watched on in horror, Jambo reached out and gently stroked Levan's back.

The gorilla stood guard over Levan when he was unconscious, placing himself between the boy and the other gorillas in a protective gesture.

After a nerve-jangling minute, Levan began to regain consciousness and started to cry.

As his family screamed at him to remain still, his sobs caused the gorillas to retreat in panic and Jambo led them into the house in the pen.

But when the gate was closing, a younger gorilla called Hobbit rushed out, at which point and an ambulanceman and two keepers stepped in and rescued Levan in a dramatic escape.

Levan cut the ribbon to mark the installation of a bronze statue of Jambo (pictured), following his death in 1992

Rescuers hauled Levan up on a stretcher and he was airlifted to Southampton General Hospital.

While a dramatic event such as this today would be uploaded to Facebook or Twitter within minutes, in 1986 it was filmed on a £1,300 Sony CCD-V8 by Brian Le Lion - in what was a relatively rare phenomenon at the time.

It was only the next day, when Levan was lying on his hospital bed, the family watched back the incredible footage.

Recalling the first time he saw the astonishing footage, he told : 'The first I saw of the video was in hospital and I remember being incredibly surprised and quite shocked. I obviously couldn't believe what had happened.'

His mother, Pauline, now 59, told : 'When Levan slipped into the pen, I started shouting and screaming and I was led away to the zoo cafe, while Stephen stayed put. Luckily they managed to get him out.

'It was only the next day we saw what had happened. One of the nurses had seen it on breakfast TV and asked us "have you seen this?" knowing that we were the family who had been involved.

'That was the first time I saw it and to be honest I couldn't actually believe what I was seeing.'

Levan, pictured on his wedding day to Amanda, said she couldn't believe the story when she found out .

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About the Creator

Dark Secrets

"Dark Secrets" covers various topics related to parenting, relationships, mysteries, child development, and teen issues. It aims to provide insights and advice on the challenges that parents and teens may face in their daily lives.

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