CHIMP SHOT DEAD !!

[kentuck]

Did you think it was Dubya??


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29227429/

<snip>
STAMFORD, Conn. - A 200-pound chimpanzee kept as a pet and once used in commercials was shot and killed by police Monday after it mauled a woman visiting its owner and later cornered an officer in his cruiser, authorities said.

Stamford police Lt. Richard Conklin said the injured woman was hospitalized late Monday in "very serious" condition at Stamford Hospital; her identity was not immediately released. Conklin said she suffered "a tremendous loss of blood" from serious facial injuries.

The 15-year-old chimpanzee's owner and two officers also were hurt, though police said the extent of their injuries was not immediately known.

...more

[supernova]

1. Hrmmm Teenager

and no adult male chimp around to contain his impulsiveness.... not good.

Too bad for the chimp.

Sad situation all around.

[LisaL]

8. 15 year old chimp is not an equivalent of human teenager.

He'd be considered a mature animal if he was wild.

[exboyfil]

34. In Planet of the Apes the gorillas are the warlike apes

but actually chimps are much more aggressive and warlike than gorillas. There is an IMAX video that shows chimps engaging in tribal warfare with one another.

The video also shows young chimps and baboons playing together until the adults shut it down.

An interesting commentary on the primate condition.

I feel bad for the woman that got mauled, but, this may sound insensitive, I don't feel as bad as for the woman in San Fran who was just trying to get into her apartment when she was killed by two dogs from a neighboring apartment. This woman had a prior relationship with the chimp owner, and was actually there to try to corral the chimp.

Owners should be held criminally liable for the behavior of their animals. This chimp's owner should be in jail.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

2. And, this is why they are not pets

Apparently, he got loose once before and "wreaked havoc" for a few hours. He's lucky he didn't get shot then.

[KittyWampus]

9. Photo of Travis

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

12. Man, Travis was fat

[KittyWampus]

17. I'm guessing it was all that logging onto the internet/web surfing vs. foraging for food

like a normal chimp (she says as she types on the computer keyboard wondering whether she'll ever lose that extra weight).

[jus_the_facts]

15. Sad to see the bars of his cell and him with a smile on his face.

....may he rest in peace now. :(

[KittyWampus]

19. yes, although a part of me notes Travis had quite an interesting experience during his lifespan

Tragic

[Maru Kitteh]

21. That is not a smile. It's a grimace, as in fear - they're trained to make that face

through fear, because we mistake it for a smile and think it's cute.

[jus_the_facts]

23. There's a place called Chimp Haven 22 miles south of Shreveport, Louisiana....

http://www.chimphaven.org/about-mission.cfm

....at least some get to live out their lives in a sort of relative peace.

[jus_the_facts]

33. kick

[Ellipsis]

3. Probaly lost it after reading this.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3742673

sigh

[Mojorabbit]

4. Do chimps get that big? nt

[Deep13]

6. Um, yeah, they're big. nt

[Arugula Latte]

30. They have four or five times human strength, too.

They can rip your arm off.

Magnificent, intelligent animals, but they shouldn't be pets.

[Deep13]

5. Too bad for the lady who is disfigured for life...

...because some idiot thought it would be fun to have a dangerous wild animal as a pet.

[underpants]

13. Yeah the MSNBC report on it said it was "very brutal"

the owner went into the house (think about how long that took) got a butcher knife-that didn't work-then she got a shovel-that didn't work- ended up wrestling the 200 pound chimp off her friend who was attacked as she was getting out of her car (came to help coral the chimp)

ended up with the chimp busting a passenger side mirror off a police cruiser (the cops had retreated into their cars after giving cover for the EMT's) the chimp walked around and opened the door to the car and tried to enter the car. The cop had no option than to fire "several times" and kill the chimp.

Apparently the chimp was toilet trained, washed itself, clothed itself, and even drank wine from a stemmed glass. He was a part of their household. It was legal-they were grandfathered when the laws changed.

[shanti]

25. reminds me of the chimps in the fresno area

who attacked their owner BRUTALLY also. they bit the man and woman's fingers off, as well as the man's behind, face, etc. i remember being horrified when that happened :(

chimps are extremely powerful creatures.

[Marrah_G]

27. Most people do not understand that Chimps can and have murdered people

They are NOT cute and cuddly. Even among their own they can behave very violently. They have been known to kill each other, even kill infants.

They also hunt monkey to eat.

For note, they always bite off the fingers and toes first......

[RaleighNCDUer]

28. This is surprising?

They are OUR closest relatives, after all.

[Marrah_G]

32. Yup !

[no_hypocrisy]

7. Reminds me of the end of an old children's book "Toby Tyler".

Toby runs away from his abusive aunt and uncle and joins the circus. He befriends a chimp whom he names Mr. Stubbs. At the end, Mr. Stubbs becomes a little erratic and feral and is shot by a member of a posse, and dies in Toby's arms. It's up there with the end of "Ole Yeller" as far as a tearjerker.



No matter how domesticated these primates become, there is always a part that remains true to its native instincts. Like dogs and cats who will bite under certain circumstances.

What a tragedy.

[KittyWampus]

10. Indeed, Travis was in human arms since he was THREE DAYS OLD. And yet still wild.

[LeftishBrit]

14. Actually, being in human arms from three days old might make a wild animal *more* dangerous

In general, allowing a non-domesticated animal to grow up regarding humans as part of its social group may increase the chance of aggression toward humans. Most wild animals keep their distance from humans and want nothing more from us than that we should leave them alone. However, a wild animal brought up in close contact with humans is more likely to regard humans as part of its 'pecking order', and to attempt to establish dominance through aggression.

Sad story.

[rollingrock]

11. Mistaken identity?

[rateyes]

16. That has to be one fat chimpanzee! nt

[customerserviceguy]

18. Time to review "exotic pets" laws

and see if we can't eliminate all species that have not been truly domesticated, not merely 'tamed'. It's not fair to either the animals or the innocent people that get hurt.

[Javaman]

20. PUT. THE. BANANA. DOWN. nt

[fujiyama]

22. Are chimps endangered?

Who the hell thought it would be a good idea to have a freaking chimpanzee as a pet?

[zagging]

I've been in the back of a few cruisers

I don't blame the chimp for freaking out. They're pretty goddam claustrophobic places.

[zagging]

24. I've been in the back of a few cruisers

I don't blame the chimp for freaking out. They're pretty goddam claustrophobic places.

[michreject]

26. I sure hope he was potty trained

If not, Yikes!!!!!

[Historic NY]

29. Chimps gone wild.

[L0oniX]

31. Oh snap ...I thought this was going to be a Bush obituary.

[trusty elf]

35. This made me think of Poe's "Murders in the Rue Morgue".

[snake in the grass]

36. Anybody here remember...

...the movie 'Link' with Terence Stamp? It's not a classic but certainly watchable and this story reminds me of it.