Three Chimpanzees Killed At Zoo Nebraska After Escape

[truthpusher]

http://www.theomahachannel.com/news/4961511/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news

Three Chimpanzees Killed At Zoo Nebraska After Escape
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Necropsy In St. Louis For Chimps
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POSTED: 11:24 am CDT September 12, 2005
UPDATED: 11:34 am CDT September 12, 2005
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LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Lincoln Journal Star reports that three chimpanzees from Zoo Nebraska near Royal were shot and killed by the zoo director after the animals escaped their cage.

Zoo Director Ken Schlueter Jr. said a padlock on the cage was not completely locked after cleaning and this allowed the animals to escape Saturday.

A fourth chimpanzee escaped but quickly returned to its cage. At least one of the animals briefly left the zoo and went into the town of Royal before returning to the zoo.

The Nebraska State Patrol and the Antelope County Sheriff's department assisted zoo staff in trying to capture the chimps. State Patrol spokeswoman Deb Collins said no visitors were harmed during the situation.

The bodies of the chimpanzees will be taken to St. Louis for necropsy. One of the dead chimps, a 22-year-old male named Reuben, was born at the St. Louis Zoo in 1983.

(snip)

complete story: http://www.theomahachannel.com/news/4961511/detail.html?rss=oma&psp=news

[stevedeshazer]

1. Why did they have to SHOOT them...

...instead of appointing them to high office?

Seriously, though, the report doesn't say why they were shot. :shrug:

[Karmakaze]

2. What the hell?????

Don't they have tranqualiser darts at this zoo? This guy should be charged with criminal negligence. There was NO NEED to kill these chimps, so something doesn't smell right about this story.

[ET Awful]

3. The problem is that they were all clutching birth certificates and DNA

samples proving their relationship to the Bush family.

They couldn't let those chimpanzees escape, not with that kind of knowledge.

[Dora]

4. Necropsy? I thought the word is "autopsy." n/t

[AngryAmish]

5. Autopsy is for humans

Necropsy for everything else

[Dora]

8. Ah. Now I'm smarter. n/t

[hlthe2b]

6. Autopsy reflects the dissection of "self"

THus when "man" dissects another species, it is known as a necropsy.

[Dora]

9. Thank you. Now it's my word of the day. n/t

[hunter]

7. Can you repost this in General Discussion?

This is a very sad story.

I don't think the George W. Bush comments are appropriate.

[blindpig]

10. chimps can be very dangerous

They're ungodly strong with sharp teeth. When I was an animal keeper in the 70's a keeper at my zoo made a mistake with the chimps and got her ear bit off. If the senior keeper who had raised Spunky(the biter) hadn't appeared and led the pair of chimps back to their cage it could have gotten uglier.

Why this situation was resolved in this manner is hard to say, in some places only veterinarians are qualified to use dart rifles because of the drugs. No use without more info.

I am a great proponent of zoos as educators of the public, enablers of biophelia and last port in the storm for endangered species.But some creatures should not be in zoos because of their sentientcy:higher primates, elephants and ceteans come to mind.

[applegrove]

11. Chimpanzees are so strong that as they approach adulthood they

can tear the arms off a human. And - like humans - in adolescence - they get filled with raging hormones and can be unpredictable.Don't know how old these guys were. Such a shame.

It would be terribly dangerous. Especially if they don't have the manpower these days to do a proper dart & rescue.

[Captain Ultra]

12. Not totally sure, but

I'm not sure, but I heard that tranquilizers were attempted but not effective.

[applegrove]

13. If they were old - like 40 - they may have been mature enough

to be talked down. If they were between the ages of 10 and 40 - they could be very, very dangerous. Don't know their history either. Many are kept as pets and babied and then sent off to pasture when they get unmanageable - and are traumatized for being kicked out of their families and placed in cages. Many were in labs.

We don't know. And like the person said - apes are too smart to be living in captivity. They suffer psychologically if not placed in a busy theme park with lots of fun and stimulation.