Gordon Buchanan is a wildlife photographer and he was filming something for BBC in the Democratic Republic of Congo. When he first started out, he was hoping to capture nature at its finest but he had no idea that he would capture something quite so amazing. As they were setting up the equipment, something caught their eye in the nearby bushes.

Standing right off the side of the road was a huge silverback gorilla. He was scanning the area, watching trucks driving by. Buchanan then knew that it was necessary to capture this moment for the world to see.

Buchanan saw the gorilla’s face and he knew that there was tension in the air. What he couldn’t figure out, however, was why the animal was so concerned. That was when he told his crew to go out into the road to get a clearer look. Suddenly, the intentions of the gorilla became clear and they captured something amazing on film.

The gorilla did not allow the cameras to get closer and he made a bold move.

When Buchanan’s crew went out into the road, traffic stopped immediately. That is when the 1500 pound gorilla made his move. He stepped out into the street and stood there guarding the road as he signaled his family to cross. Suddenly, the BBC crew realized that he was concerned because he wanted to protect his family.

This gorilla was willing to put himself in harm’s way so his family could cross the road safely.

According to the Gorilla Highlands website, these animals are protective of their young. It may even have to do with human influence over the years as to why they are aggressive when their family is present.

“Mothers are highly protective of their young; many have died trying to protect their offspring against poachers. Children learn so much from their mother and other troop members that it is very difficult to re-introduce young rescued gorillas into the wild [if rescued].”

In the end, the family was able to cross the road without a problem and the footage was captured. Perhaps it may even be that now people will ask why the gorilla crossed the road?

You can see this moment for yourself in this breathtaking video: