And the chimp’s owner has no idea of what provoked aggressive behavior from her longtime pet? (2/17, A-5, “Celebrity chimp rampages; Former star of TV commercials is shot dead after violently attacking visitor, police”) It’s because he wasn’t human!
Even though he was treated as human for 14 years, he was still a wild animal. And when a wild animal is deprived of its own kind for years, it’s going to go bonkers eventually. We should not be treating our fellow creatures this way.
Ellie Dawson
Kansas City
Shouldn't her friend being attacked have simply responded "let go of me you damned, dirty ape?" It worked for Chuck. Sort of.
Posted by: Smarter Than You | February 24, 2009 at 06:43 PM
It's probably a stretch to think she engaged in that sort of behavior with the chimp just because he slept on the bed. I frequently wake up with a 75 pound border collie mix sprawled out and cutting off the circulation to my feet.
Her treatment of that chimp was certainly weird though. Did you see what she fed him? Donald Trump never ate so well.
Posted by: TinaMcG | February 24, 2009 at 12:51 PM
I would have to agree. I heard this women talk about how she lived with the chimp and slept in bed with him.....God only knows what else she did with him.
She was a pervert and nut to keep a chimp like a husband in her house.
Posted by: Stifled Freedom | February 24, 2009 at 10:23 AM
Missouri is infamous for being home to more puppymills than most other states, and it seems it is also home to the breeder who bred Travis the chimp and his mother -- who was also shot dead while in a violent rage. But in that case, the teenager who shot the mother chimp as she was attacking his friends was found guilty of (something) and spent 30 days in jail.
Whoever is breeding chimps and selling them as pets should be put out of business by the State. These people are dangerous.
Read about the story of Travis's mom here: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/02/21/2009-02-21_mom_of_crazed_chimpanzee_travis_also_sho-1.html
Posted by: TinaMcG | February 24, 2009 at 07:56 AM
News flash: "Planet of the Apes".
"Dr. Zira, I must caution you. To suggest that we can learn anything about the simian nature from a study of man is sheer nonsense. Why, man is a nuisance. He eats up his food supply in the forest, then migrates to our green belts and ravages our crops. The sooner he is exterminated, the better. It's a question of simian survival."
Posted by: whispering_to_kc | February 24, 2009 at 12:26 AM