That day, a man found a small injured gorilla in the middle of the forest. She was lying in the damp grass, barely breathing, with a deep wound across her leg. He couldn’t ignore her: he carefully wrapped her in his coat and took her home.

For weeks, he cared for her devotedly. He changed her bandages, fed her with a bottle, kept her warm by the fire, and spoke to her gently, as if she were his own daughter.

At first, the little gorilla trembled with fear, but she gradually began to trust him. Within months, she grew strong, with a deep, surprisingly gentle gaze. A bond between them formed that was unbreakable.

But the law was clear: keeping a wild animal at home was forbidden. One day, neighbors spotted the large gorilla through the window and alerted the authorities.

The next day, animal protection officers arrived. The man begged through tears for them not to take her, assuring them he would never harm anyone. But the decision had already been made.

The gorilla was taken away, and the man was left alone in his empty home. For days, he sat in front of the empty cage, stroking an old rope she used to play with, tears streaming down his face.

Years passed. The gorilla was moved to a zoo, where she adapted quickly. The caretakers were amazed by her intelligence and calm demeanor: she never showed aggression, only a profound curiosity toward people, as if searching for someone.

Meanwhile, the man was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Doctors gave him only a few weeks to live. He could barely speak or walk, but one thought kept him going: he wanted to see his friend one last time.

The story moved the entire community, and the zoo agreed to grant his final wish.

On the day of the reunion, they brought the elderly man on a stretcher, wrapped in a blanket. He was barely breathing, but a faint smile graced his face. The staff opened the enclosure door and carefully brought him closer. The gorilla was sitting with her back to him, calm.

At the sound of a soft cough, she turned her head. She froze, watching him for a few seconds, as if she couldn’t believe her eyes. Then, she began to walk slowly toward him, step by step, while everyone held their breath.

The caretakers were prepared for any reaction: many years had passed, and no one knew if she would remember him.

Then the impossible happened. The gorilla knelt beside the stretcher, sniffed his hand, let out a deep, low sound… and hugged him.

She held him gently, without squeezing, as if afraid of hurting him. Her eyes glistened, her breathing quickened, and a soft sound, almost like a cry, escaped from her throat.

The man lifted his hand and stroked her head, smiling weakly.

No one could hold back their tears. The gorilla stayed by his side, swaying slowly, making low sounds, as if speaking to him in her own language.

Minutes later, the elderly man closed his eyes and took his last breath.

The gorilla did not move. She remained there in silence, guarding her friend. And when they finally took him away, only then did she allow others to approach, looking at them with sorrow, as if understanding she had just lost the only person who ever loved her as an equal.