Chimpanzee attacks owner and police

[seasoned]

If that's correct then another mistake was made by the owner. Chimpanzees and gorillas and most primates are omnivores, like bears. They primarily eat fruit and veggies but occasionally a small bird or lizard if they can catch them and insects of all types. But giving the animal a steady diet of meat is not good. No wild chimp that I could possibly think of ever had Lobster... crayfish maybe. Also giving the animal alcohol was a huge mistake.
Xanax was the straw that broke the back.
The owner is totally at fault here and should be charged IMO with animal cruelty.

Wonder what Charlton Heston would've done?

"

It's a horrible thing, but I'm not a horrible person and he's not a horrible chimp." she said.
The unexplained attack was uncharacteristic of Travis, a veteran of TV commercials who could eat at the table, drink wine from a stemmed glass, use the toilet, and dress and bathe himself.
Don Mecca, a family friend from Colchester, N.Y., said Herold fed the chimp steak, lobster, ice cream and Italian food.
Travis brushed his teeth with a Water Pik, logged on to a computer to look at photos and channel-surfed television with the remote control.

Taken from on line article.

 

[Jade Tigress]

The owner obtained this chimp at 3 days old and had him for 14 years. He was treated like "her son", not like a wild animal. No one knows what caused this animal to snap, but I think lack of leadership (by the owner, not the chimp) had something to do with it. He was not a human for God's sake. The confusion and anxiety must have been building in this animal for years. As human as he may have seemed to the owner, he had an animal brain and animal instincts.

It was a vicious attack. The poor victim had her face and both her hands chewed off, her very life is in jeopardy now. And this is someone the chimp knew! Stupid, stupid people.

 

[MJS]

They're repeatedly playing the 911 tapes on tv, from this attack. They're investigating now, whether or not the owner gave the chimp Xanax. Supposedly she claimed on a "Today Show" interview, that she in fact did give this to him in tea, but now she is recanting the story. The new twist to the story, is that the friend who was attacked, had a new hairstyle, was driving a different car, and was holding a stuffed Elmo toy in front of her face. She was planning on giving it to the chimp. They're looking into the possibility that this may have been what sparked the attack.

Either way, this is certainly a horrific thing for everyone involved.

 

[shesulsa]

People need to realize a few things, I think:

1. There are only a few rare people on this earth who can do the Jack Hannah, Jane Goodall or Steve Irwin thing; just because they can do it doesn't mean the average person can do it.

2. We do not show wild animals respect by forcing our environment upon them. We are domesticated through ages and ages and ages; chimps, tigers, alligators have not been. When presented with a do-or-die situation, they will react accordingly.

3. Just because your animal is good with you doesn't mean it will be good with everyone else.

4. You have to understand the animal as an animal and treat it accordingly. Animal brains require predictable outcomes - if they expect a ride from bringing you the keys to the car, they expect a ride or some other activity as a substitute, otherwise, they're demeaned and hence will react accordingly.

I'm reminded of "little dog syndrome" - if a 5 lb. teacup chihuahua jumps up on your leg and barks over and over again and snarls at you, you'd better react the same way as if a 100 lb. Rottweiler did the same thing. Some people think it's cute for the toy to act like a killer; the dog, regardless of size, is sending you a definitive message. Ya better listen.

 

[MJS]

People need to realize a few things, I think:

1. There are only a few rare people on this earth who can do the Jack Hannah, Jane Goodall or Steve Irwin thing; just because they can do it doesn't mean the average person can do it.

Very true. Those folks are in a class by themselves, IMO, although, I'm sure they have had their close calls as well.

2. We do not show wild animals respect by forcing our environment upon them. We are domesticated through ages and ages and ages; chimps, tigers, alligators have not been. When presented with a do-or-die situation, they will react accordingly.

Agreed. Even in a zoo, while its still captivity, the zoo still does their best to provide them with an environment that is as close to the real deal as possible. Additionally, while it may be cute to have a monkey as a pet, fact remains that these animals grow. I don't know too many people that have pets that are in the 200lb category. Sure, there are large breed dogs that are 100+lbs, but we're not talking about an average pet either.

3. Just because your animal is good with you doesn't mean it will be good with everyone else.

And just because the animal has had a good rep with you in the past, doesn't mean that it can't have an off day. This comes to mind.

4. You have to understand the animal as an animal and treat it accordingly. Animal brains require predictable outcomes - if they expect a ride from bringing you the keys to the car, they expect a ride or some other activity as a substitute, otherwise, they're demeaned and hence will react accordingly.

Agree.

I'm reminded of "little dog syndrome" - if a 5 lb. teacup chihuahua jumps up on your leg and barks over and over again and snarls at you, you'd better react the same way as if a 100 lb. Rottweiler did the same thing. Some people think it's cute for the toy to act like a killer; the dog, regardless of size, is sending you a definitive message. Ya better listen.

Absolutely. I think that some people don't pay as much attention to the signals as they should. My dog, a Shepherd/Husky mix, loves attention. However, there have been times when kids have been over to the condo, are petting him, and he'll get up and move to another spot. They follow, and he gets up again. Its then that I tell them to leave him alone. Thats his way of saying, "I'm not in the mood, I'm hot and don't want to be bothered. Leave me alone please!"

 

[Xue Sheng]

People need to realize a few things, I think:

1. There are only a few rare people on this earth who can do the Jack Hannah, Jane Goodall or Steve Irwin thing; just because they can do it doesn't mean the average person can do it.

2. We do not show wild animals respect by forcing our environment upon them. We are domesticated through ages and ages and ages; chimps, tigers, alligators have not been. When presented with a do-or-die situation, they will react accordingly.

3. Just because your animal is good with you doesn't mean it will be good with everyone else.

4. You have to understand the animal as an animal and treat it accordingly. Animal brains require predictable outcomes - if they expect a ride from bringing you the keys to the car, they expect a ride or some other activity as a substitute, otherwise, they're demeaned and hence will react accordingly.

I'm reminded of "little dog syndrome" - if a 5 lb. teacup chihuahua jumps up on your leg and barks over and over again and snarls at you, you'd better react the same way as if a 100 lb. Rottweiler did the same thing. Some people think it's cute for the toy to act like a killer; the dog, regardless of size, is sending you a definitive message. Ya better listen.

Yup that about covers it

And just cause

baby Chimpanzee

adult Chimpanzee
http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/NGSPOD06/112609.jpg
They are not the same

And this is all reminding me about a guy I saw on the cover of the Newspaper in my town a few years back holding his pet python and talking about how GREAT a pet it was. He was in the paper again a few months later too….apparently this great pet killed him.

 

[MA-Caver]

Absolutely, which is why I think many people should not own animals if they're not attentive to them. Lots of people just HAVE the animal for the sake of having it. They'll feed it and clean up after it and maybe play with it for a while but it's not attended to as it should be. It's just... there.
As far as exotic animals goes. Even fewer people should have them and those who have at least a marginal background/knowledge of the animal's behavior and environmental needs.
Florida's everglades by example are invaded by non-indigenous species because of the hundreds and thousands of exotic pets let go by (or escaped from) irresponsible owners who no longer can care for these creatures. Lizards, snakes, birds from South America, Indonesia, and other "far-away" countries now roam, and are thriving in the Florida everglades and are competing with native species, in effect throwing nature off balance.
This is (one of) the high costs of irresponsible pet ownership.

 

[jim777]

It's a sad situation, but it should have been easy enough to see coming. A male 165 pound chimp can pull 1200 pounds with one arm; that will definitely pull your limbs off. There is tons of filmed evidence they are canibalistic in the wild, killing off and eating other chimps that encroach on their territory or stand in the way of them expanding their own. Connecticut should NEVER have allowed animals to be 'grandfathered in' when it made owning chimps illegal. This poor woman got her face literally torn off, her eyes gouged out, her jaw pulled off, and her hands bitten off.... I don't know how you ever come back from that psychologically, or if the shock ever goes away. How do you live any sort of life after that? It's just absolutely beyond belief.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Well I've decided I want one of these as pet and I shall name him fluffy :duh:

Wild Animals do not make good house pets look at what happened to any number of HIGHLY skilled and qualified trainers and handlers over the years

 

[jim777]

Well I've decided I want one of these as pet and I shall name him fluffy :duh:

Wild Animals do not make good house pets look at what happened to any number of HIGHLY skilled and qualified trainers and handlers over the years

I don't know how highly skilled he was, but Timothy Treadwell should have known better!

 

[jim777]

sorry, double post

 

[elder999]

Well I've decided I want one of these as pet and I shall name him fluffy :duh:

Wild Animals do not make good house pets look at what happened to any number of HIGHLY skilled and qualified trainers and handlers over the years

Lots of people say that the wolverine's cousins, the ferrets, make great pets.

Fact is, wild animals can be pets, just not for anyone. It's the same with most breeds of dogs-I have a fila brasiliero-at more than 150 lbs., and with an atavistic hatred towards strangers, they're not for just any owner. In fact, most responsible breeders do a good job of screening prospective owners, because these dogs can quite literally kill somebody, because, well, that's what they do.

This woman should obviously not have had that animal-the line was blurred as to who was in charge a long, long time ago. All animals respond to routine, and controlled stimuli, and this is what "pets" (or stunt animals for film, or circus animals, etc) must have. Something made the chimp react this way, and it was within the owner's control, or should have been. Odds are good the (unauthorized?) medication had something to do with it, but it could have been anything. She also probably was no longer capable of maintaining any kind of dominance with the animal (and this isn't about physicality, it's about controlled stimuli and psychology) if she ever had any.

 

[MA-Caver]

I don't know how highly skilled he was, but Timothy Treadwell should have known better!

I saw the film Grizzly Man and in my opinon... Timothy Treadwell was a moron who thought he was "one with the bears" and ended up getting killed/eaten by one of them along with an innocent girl who likewise had no right being out there unarmed, unprepared.
Disregarding National Park Safety Rules and intermingling with wild bears thinking they won't attack him unprovoked is what got him (and that girl) killed.

Another fine example of arrogance and egotism over wild animals.

 

[elder999]

I saw the film Grizzly Man and in my opinon... Timothy Treadwell was a moron .

That's almost a Darwin award winner, but he was craaaazy. :lfao:

Tim Treadwell
I'm in love with my animal friends. I'm in love with my animal friends! In love with my animal friends. I'm very, very troubled. It's very emotional. It's probably not cool even looking like this. I'm so in love with them, and they're so f-ed over, which so sucks.

I will die for these animals, I will die for these animals, I will die for these animals.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Lots of people say that the wolverine's cousins, the ferrets, make great pets.

Fact is, wild animals can be pets, just not for anyone. It's the same with most breeds of dogs-I have a fila brasiliero-at more than 150 lbs., and with an atavistic hatred towards strangers, they're not for just any owner. In fact, most responsible breeders do a good job of screening prospective owners, because these dogs can quite literally kill somebody, because, well, that's what they do.

This woman should obviously not have had that animal-the line was blurred as to who was in charge a long, long time ago. All animals respond to routine, and controlled stimuli, and this is what "pets" (or stunt animals for film, or circus animals, etc) must have. Something made the chimp react this way, and it was within the owner's control, or should have been. Odds are good the (unauthorized?) medication had something to do with it, but it could have been anything. She also probably was no longer capable of maintaining any kind of dominance with the animal (and this isn't about physicality, it's about controlled stimuli and psychology) if she ever had any.

I am not disagreeing with you at all and I am not a big fan of ferrets either but I look at it this way

The average wolverine weighs 25 to 40 pounds
A large Ferret weighs around 5 pounds

Kind of like a baby chimp vs an adult chimp

And then there is the case of Siegfried & Roy and the tiger

 

[jim777]

I'm thinking a big wolverine would stand a better chance against a chimp than a person would. Wolverines are just plain mean all the time; there's no need to spend time provoking them, they come that way out of the box (so to speak).

 

[elder999]

I am not disagreeing with you at all and I am not a big fan of ferrets either but I look at it this way

Mom Says Ferret Gnawed Off Baby's Toes

I look at it this way:some people just should not have certain animals.

 

[CoryKS]

Mom Says Ferret Gnawed Off Baby's Toes

I look at it this way:some people just should not have certain animals.

Or children.

 

[MA-Caver]

Well that didn't take them too long; PETA raises their ugly heads and wants to blame corporate america for the chimp attack!
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video...//www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,237989,00.html
Saying Corporations are to blame for the cruelty that animals endure from trainers getting them to do "un-natural acts" on camera. But hey! She (big smiles) loves corporate america.
I love the reporter smacking her around on camera (verbally) ...

 

[Twin Fist]

tredwell was just an idiot with a deathwish, that sadly, took someone else with him.