thinking of going ape? DON'T

[acroyear]

The Intersection: Chimpanzees Are NOT Pets!:

I have extremely strong emotions concerning this particular issue... in part because of my conservation biology background, but more recently, from my friendship with science writer Vanessa Woods and her husband, evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Brian Hare. The very reason they study sanctuary orphans is because often mothers have been killed so the babies can be sold to people who want them as pets. Vanessa posted the problems with this last year on her terrific blog Bonobo Handshake:

#1 Chimpanzees are wild animals. Animals that make good PETS like dogs and cats, have been domesticated for millions (sic) of years. There has been selection on them against agression, which is why a dog, unlike a wolf, will not automatically tear you to pieces. Anyone who has a pet chimpanzee for long enough will eventually no longer be able to control them and will either get a body part bitten off or will have to use extreme force to control them. Chimps live to be 50 years old and grow almost as big as a human male. They have extremely powerful muscles and are 5-10 stronger than a heavy weight boxer.

#2 Because of this aggressive temperament people who sell these animals as pets must do so when they are adorable and harmless infants. Their customers do not know the level of aggression these animals are capable of or there strength.

This same mixed feelings came about when faireraven and I discussed it this morning. The lady was all about how he was just like a person, to which I (with all of the statistics and headlines in my head) basically pointed out, "yeah, and humans are the most unpredictable and dangerous animals on the planet right now."

(I did take exception to one thing: dog and cat domestication is more like thousands of years old, not millions.  we aren't that old a species...)

Comments

[katrinb.livejournal.com]

Chimps are very much like us. When faced with a member of another species, like us but just outside the bounds of our own intra-species aggression limits, when that being is weaker than us and standing in the way of what we want, what do we do?
Oh, yeah. That would be why there aren't so many chimps around these days.

No, having chimps for pets, not a good idea. (And how would you react if a chimp tried to keep you as a pet, having raised you from an infant?)

[javasaurus.livejournal.com]

"how would you react if a chimp tried to keep you as a pet, having raised you from an infant"

Didn't Edgar Rice Burroughs write something about that?

[dawntreader]

#1 Chimpanzees are wild animals.

that was my whole annoyance with this situation. apparently he went (pardon the pun) apeshit one other time and his neighbors were afraid of him. but this lady didn't understand. he was a wild animal.

it's the same situation as people who have tigers and then act surprised when they bite the arm off some three year old kid who sticks his arm in the cage. what did you expect a wild animal to do!? they aren't meant to be kept in houses. they aren't pets. they aren't friends. even zookeepers have a healthy respect for the wild nature of the animals they take care of. they aren't freakin' pets.

[uncle-possum.livejournal.com]

Jeeeez!
Think about it: based on the stories I have seen, the chimp took the car keys and was trying to get into the car (he like car rides said the owner). So, a 15 year old wants the car keys, and gets upset? Duh! Except the 15 year old lacked all the internal things which make us "civilized"--so when he threw the tantrum, he just acted out the way he ought to. Yeah.