Jambo The Gorilla Made Headlines All Over The World 37 Years Ago

5-year-old Levan Merritt visited to the zoo with his brothers and parents exactly 37 years ago, in 1986. Unfortunately, what was meant to be a nice day quickly turned into a nightmare that the family would recall for the rest of their lives.

Jambo died in 1992, but he is and will always be remembered as a hero. He fathered 15 baby gorillas in his lifetime and an honorary statue in his memory remains at the zoo until today. Levan was there when it was unveiled. He then made a poignant return to the zoo where he was reunited with Brian Fox, the former paramedic who played a crucial role in rescuing him. It goes without saying that this incredible incident changed Levan's life forever. However, perhaps not in the way one would expect. Levan faced bullying at school, where he was subjected to cruel taunts and derogatory nicknames like 'Tarzan' and 'gorilla boy.'