Fort Worth Zookeepers Kept From Harm
Christians know the bedrock of their faith is a living relationship with God through prayers. They often pray for themselves or others and ask the Lord to intercede with his mighty power. Sometimes, those prayers are answered promptly, while others are made known days or years later. Whenever the power of prayer is observable, it is nice to take notice and give glory to God.
The answered prayer happened last October in the Fort Worth Zoo, although it has only recently been made known to the public. The story has gone viral, and it is estimated that over 42.5 million people have viewed the short video of two zoo keepers caught in the gorilla enclosure with a male sliver back charging towards them. You can view the video here if you haven’t seen it yet.
The New York Post published the story on March 9, 2024, giving the background of the incident. During regular visiting hours, the public viewed two female zoo keepers inside the gorilla exhibit. They were surprised when the massive silverback stormed out of a cave-like part of the enclosure, heading right for them. One of the zookeepers threw a bucket to distract the gorilla named Elmo while ducking inside a doorway, partially closing the door, and waiting anxiously for what would happen next. The second zookeeper was only feet away, still inside the enclosure.
After a brief moment, the primate turned his attention from the doorway to the other zookeeper still standing in the unprotected habitat. Thankfully, the animal was distracted by a man behind the glass, letting the exposed zookeeper rush behind a tree and ultimately to safety. A review of the situation revealed the handler’s error caused the problem.
Everyone is thankful the incident did not result in injuries or death, regardless of whether the incident was the mistake of the gorilla care team or not. The safe resolution of what could have been a tragedy is part of why the video has become viral, but it is only part of the story.
The observable answering of a stranger’s prayer in real time gets little or no attention—quite a remarkable moment for anyone with eyes to see.
Moments before the incident occurs, when tension is in the air, the voices of zoo-goers in the background urge children to move out of the viewer’s enclosure, prohibiting them from seeing a potential gorilla attack.
Within the cacophony of voices, a female voice is heard repeating, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh.” Then the same woman starts a litany: “God help her, God help her, God protect her.” The sound of a male voice echoes the same prayer. Then the prayerful woman continues, “God, [slight pause] animals obey and hear the sound of your voice.” How many people during a potential tragedy have the wherewithal to pray in such a conscious manner? God asked that woman in a mysterious way to be present at the zoo so she could be the instrument by which the power of God and prayer is made known to many people through social media.
When the second zookeeper finally reached safety, the woman continued her prayer, this time for thanksgiving. Five times, she audibly prayed, “Thank you, Lord.” The woman realized God heard her appeal and answered it by keeping the zoo employees from harm.
Critics who cannot get themselves to believe in the power of prayer will dismiss this incident as having nothing to do with God’s intercession. They try to explain it by some experiential reason rather than the power of God at work. How pitiful it is for those who do not pray and cannot see the hand of God working in our world. It is reminiscent of Abraham in heaven’s response to the dead Lazarus, who bids him to warn his brothers how not to end in his dreadful state by saying, “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”
The prayerful woman experienced her prayers being answered immediately, and the zookeepers were saved from harm. We do not often see such a thing, but thanks to the video, we have witnessed the power of God at work, and a prayer was answered immediately. This video was meant to strengthen our prayer life by showing prayers are heard and answered.
Prayer does work, and we encourage you to join Cardinal Burke’s Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe to bring an end to the chaos around the world. More information can be found here.