OK, I have to ask........

[LauraMax]

What do you guys think about that chimp attack? I don't know why, but I found it to be one of the most disturbing things I've seen/heard in a long time. I heard the 911 call & it just made me sick to my stomach. I swear, that woman's comment "please kill him" is still ringing in my head.

I wonder what happened? From what I understand chimps are pretty intelligent & if raised properly wouldn't just attack unprovoked. Not to mention its owner gave it a dose of Xanax b/c it seemed "stressed."

I don't know if we'll ever know the full story, & I'm wondering what the message is behind this. Are chimps meant to always live in the wild & not be domesticated? If that's true, how could a less intelligent animal like a dog be domesticated but chimps not?

Such a sad story.

 

[spyrosmom]

I'm not real sure what to think here. I don't think chimps are pets. However, I guess it was a trained chimp and had been in movies or commercials, so theoretically it should be well behaved. But it is still a wild animal. Dogs/cats have been domesticated over thousands of years, this chimp was 14 or 15 years old, and I don't think he came from a line of domesticated chimps. They had said the owner (or was it the visitor) had recently had a haircut or changed appearance, so maybe that freaked him out. Animals can be sensitive to that. Why she was giving him Xanax is beyond me. Seems strange. Human drugs are for humans, not animals. Especially if it had not been prescribed for him by a vet. I wonder if she just had some Xanax laying (lying??) around so gave it to him. That could have triggered a reaction as well. Just because it relaxes humans doesn't mean it will do the same to the chimp. I think it was a sad accident, but could have been fully prevented. One of the articles I read said that the chimp had prev gotten loose and created some trouble around town - nothing like this though. Maybe that could have been a clue to his changing behavior. All in all, its a wild animal, and really has no business being kept as a pet.

Nan

 

[Liann]

I found it extremely disturbing too Laura! Several animal experts chimed in on an article yesterday that said that this type of behavior is actually pretty normal in the wild. In the wild, it's not unheard of for a chimp to "snap" and attack/kill another chimp. You could say the same thing about the human species too! This chimp was 200 lbs and even with best of socialization, the "experts" believe he was a ticking time bomb. The early theory is that since the lady drove up in a different car with a very different hairstyle, the chimp didn't recognize her and went on a "territorial" rampage. Whatever triggered it, he was obviously already antsy that day. The owner should have taken note of that. It's obvious that the owner raised this chimp as a human though and at some point lost insight that he was actually an animal, not a human. We may share some DNA, but they are NOT humans. Kind of related - I just said goodbye to my baby Aloysius after three years because I knew it wasn't safe for me to keep him anymore. He was a 6+ foot Suriname boa and while I thought he was as tame as a kitten, I had the good sense to find him a better home before he ate me.

I think this is a story I'm going to have nightmares about. That poor woman!!!

 

[Liann]

Here's the article I read yesterday: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29233931/

Also, just as an update the owner is saying that she DID NOT give the chimp Zanax as reported by the media. She may just be trying to cover her butt at this point though.

 

[fit_fairy]

I think it was a very sad story for all involved

 

[kathryn]

I don't think people should have chimps (or any other wild animal) as 'pets' in the first place.

Who knows: maybe captivity drove him crazy (no matter how well he was treated). Maybe being so out of his element (a chimp family in the wild), possibly made to dress up in silly clothes or make funny faces for human amusement was too much for him. Maybe he was 'mad as hell, and not gonna take it any more'.

I'm thinking "Dr Rat" by William Kotzwinkle.

 

[kathryn]

If that's true, how could a less intelligent animal like a dog be domesticated but chimps not?

That may be one aspect of it.
A dog (or cat) doesn't experience his domestication as 'captivity,' but perhaps a more intelligent species would.

 

[pixiesis]

I agree that it's extremely disturbing. I've also heard that the chimp had lyme disease, which can cause psychosis. Chimps are definitely NOT meant to be pets. When I used to go to the zoo (can't stomach it anymore) I remember noticing that the primates always seemed depressed, and since they are so like us, this would really upset me.

Amy

 

[fit44]

how could a less intelligent animal like a dog be domesticated but chimps not?

I could be wrong, but I thought years of specific breeding gave us domestic dogs? The temperament of dogs is a result of years of breeding.
That is why it is important to buy a dog from a reputable breeder. A reputable breeder has years of experience and in many cases education in genetics. He/she will look for the best of the breed and breed only those characteristics.

 

[Gayle]

This is a horrifying story all the way around.

Are chimps meant to always live in the wild & not be domesticated?

Yes.

If that's true, how could a less intelligent animal like a dog be domesticated but chimps not?

Comparing the domestication of dogs to the "captivation" (for lack of a better term) of chimps and other wild animals is comparing apples to broccoli.

There's a lot of debate surrounding this, but there is evidence that the early domestication of dogs/wolves came about as more symbiotic "partnership" between human and canine - early humans provided easy food (scraps, garbage) and shelter...they started hanging out near the tribe/clan/homestead...got used to people...and people got used to them, and early dogs provided an alert system, hunting capability, eventually herding, etc, etc.

That didn't happen with chimps.

 

[Liann]

I could be wrong, but I thought years of specific breeding gave us domestic dogs? The temperament of dogs is a result of years of breeding.

Correct, there has never been a time in the history of the world when wild wiener dogs were roaming the plains hunting down game.

 

[measuredoak]

I agree with other posters, no matter how tame or trained the chimp or any wild animal may seem, at the end of the day, they are still wild animals & will revert back to their natural instincts. What happened was very disturbing & tragic but there may have been warning signs that went unheeded by the owner.

 

[LauraMax]

Correct, there has never been a time in the history of the world when wild wiener dogs were roaming the plains hunting down game.

LMAO! Were the weiner dogs hunting game for their master pugs' meals?

Jeez, chimps are so cute too. So what are those monkeys who're pets to disabled people & help them around the house? I guess not chimps? And I guess safer to have around?

Primates confuse me. Esp. the human variety. Esp. the male human variety.

 

[Gayle]

I could be wrong, but I thought years of specific breeding gave us domestic dogs? The temperament of dogs is a result of years of breeding.

I think you're right. I remember a National Geographic show saying that there was evidence of dog domestication as far back as 12,000 - 15,000 years ago.

 

[SueNJ]

Jeez, chimps are so cute too. So what are those monkeys who're pets to disabled people & help them around the house? I guess not chimps? And I guess safer to have around?

Those are usually highly trained capuchin monkeys that were born and raised in captivity for the specific purpose of being aids to disabled people. Smaller than full-grown chimps (monkeys and chimps are both primates, but monkeys are more like 4-legged animals whereas chimps are more similar to humans), and if I'm not mistaken (I could be wrong on this...), they actually remove the monkey's teeth, or at least the ones that could cause damage if they bit a human.

 

[jlsahli]

Thanks

Thanks for posting, I'm glad I'm not the only one that is deeply disturbed by this. I was so upset after I heard that call last night I needed to turn it off after a few seconds but then I had to read about it to see what happened to the chimp (although I had a good idea). She said it was like her son but when it was attacking that other person she was trying to stab it with a butcher knife. I guess you don't know what you'll do when the stress levels get that high but that is just so disturbing. I really wish that we humans (supposedly the smartest creature on the planet) would treat animals with a little more respect and keep wild animals in the wild -- don't even get me started on the capuchin monkeys, pulling out their teeth so we can make them our "pseudo" babies. . .disgusting.

 

[carolyn122162]

Laura,]

I heard on the TODAY show this morning that the chimp slept in this woman's bed and frequently brushed her hair. That just creeps me out. I wonder if the chimp was her boyfriend. EWWWWWWW

 

[kathryn]

Those are usually highly trained capuchin monkeys that were born and raised in captivity for the specific purpose of being aids to disabled people. Smaller than full-grown chimps (monkeys and chimps are both primates, but monkeys are more like 4-legged animals whereas chimps are more similar to humans), and if I'm not mistaken (I could be wrong on this...), they actually remove the monkey's teeth, or at least the ones that could cause damage if they bit a human.

And they are sometimes trained with negative reinforcement, like receiving electric shocks.

The term "animal slavery and exploitation" comes to mind.

 

[kathryn]

I heard on the TODAY show this morning that the chimp slept in this woman's bed and frequently brushed her hair. That just creeps me out. I wonder if the chimp was her boyfriend. EWWWWWWW

I wonder if 'pet' chimps are neutered?
If not, I'm sure hormones would take over at some point, and how do you deal with that?
(I've read of chimps 'pleasuring themselves' with the suction from a vaccuum cleaner.)

 

[fit44]

(I've read of chimps 'pleasuring themselves' with the suction from a vaccuum cleaner.)

That's gross!
I think I'll stick to mothering my dogs. I don't know why anyone would want to keep a wild animal. I really don't understand it.