I chose the above picture because so many people see the kitten but don't realize that inside is a lion ready to get out. If you haven't read about the latest chimpanzee attack, click here to catch up. They say that one of the reasons for the attack could have been because Travis the chimp didn't recognize his owner's friend because she wore her hair up that day instead of down like usual. Chimps are smarter than that and you can't possibly use that as an excuse for his behavior. Another article said that Travis had taken the keys, unlocked the door and let himself outside. They aren't dumb animals!
Travis tore the hands off of his owner's friend and then bit her face off...literally. She has no eyes or nose and most of her teeth are gone. I heard the 911 call Travis' owner made and you can hear the chimp "screaming" in the background while he was attacking her friend. That was not the sound of a domesticated animal.
I don't understand how people think that it's okay to keep a wild animal. No matter how much you think you've domesticated them, they are still wild and will have their usual animal tendencies from time to time. This isn't even the first time that Travis bit someone yet the owner was allowed to let him freely wander around town with her.
This owner was irresponsible and naive for thinking that Travis was completely domesticated. She let him drink wine and eat dinner with her and her husband at the table. Other sources said that the owner used to dress up Travis in clothes and drive around town with him the backseat. Cute, yes, but this was a 200 pound wild animal and it doesn't matter how much time you've spent with him, he is still a wild animal and you need to keep that in mind.
I feel so bad for the lady that was attacked. Travis' owner had called her over to come help her get Travis back in his cage and when she arrived, the attack started. The owner hit Travis with a shovel and stabbed him with a knife to try to get him to stop. This bothers me even more because if you're going to have an animal like that for a pet, you should have a tranquilizer dart or something that would be effective in subduing it. I doubt that she owned anything like that.
Please remember the potential for danger when dealing with animals whether they be domesticated or not. They are typically faster than you and smarter than you realize.
2 comments:
This is just sad for everyone involved, including the chimp. He should never have been removed from his own environment and species. The blame is clearly with the "owner" and anyone who encouraged her. I think this is a symptom of our disconnect from nature. We think we can bring everything wild into our own world and it'll be pretty and wonderful. Nope--nature is still wild. The world is still dangerous, and like it or not, we humans cannot control and bend everything to our whim. We are not above nature, and unfortunately, sometimes we have to learn the hard way.
I completely agree with you. Nicely put!
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