If I went to the zoo and the gorilla caregiver invited me to leave my son with them for a while, I would say jarto came. I would not dare because I would not be sure that I was safe with them, something that Damian Aspinall, an animal defender who 20 years ago recorded this video, does not share.
It is a recording in which his daughter, 18 months at the time, appears playing with a gorilla that shares space, time and play with her.
The girl is Tansy Aspinall and her father, Damian, is a millionaire who owns casinos in the United Kingdom and a fervent defender of animals. 20 years ago he let his daughter spend time with the gorillas of a Kent zoo, convinced that he was not at risk.
Now he has decided to publish the video knowing that there will probably be controversy, but with a very clear intention: prove that gorillas are noble animals.
Aspin says about it:
It is a family video. If we can show millions of people how noble and wonderful these animals are, then we are doing a service to the gorillas. I am happy to have made this decision.
The girl, who is not so young now, has agreed to publish the video and has stated that she is happy with the childhood her father offered her, in case anyone thinks of criticizing such a decision, not being the girl able to weigh the risk and the benefit of spending time with the gorillas:
I understand that people might be shocked enough to see a baby play with gorillas. But in reality gorillas are wonderful animals and very similar to humans. So I hope this is a way to make people understand that gorillas are really very friendly.
The truth is that if they intended to make me see that gorillas are friendlier than I think they may have succeeded. However I still think the same: for nothing in the world I would leave one of my children next to a gorilla today. Tomorrow, when the world semi-destroys itself and we return to live with the resources that we ourselves are able to generate, let us know, perhaps we should share space with these animals.
