He took care of it: changed its bandages, fed it with a bottle, warmed it by the fireplace, and spoke to it as if it were a child.

The gorilla quickly got used to its rescuer, and the man grew attached to it too. They lived together for several months, and the gorilla grew — strong, powerful, but with incredibly kind eyes.

However, by law, keeping a wild animal at home was forbidden. One day, the neighbors saw the large animal through the window and reported it to the authorities.

The next day, animal protection officers arrived. The man begged them not to take his friend away, assuring them the gorilla wouldn’t harm anyone, but the decision had already been made.

The gorilla was taken away, and the old man remained alone in his empty house. He sat for a long time by the empty cage, gently touching the old rope the gorilla used to play with, and cried, unable to accept the loss.