It is western culture to naturally cling to and adopt pets as part of the family--dogs and cats being the top two. Lets face it, us westerns love our pets just a much as we love our mothers, fathers, siblings and children. In my household our dog Shadow, a 70 lb Germaine Shepard mixed with Lab is the center of attention. My mother talks to him all the time, asking him questions like "how is mommy's baby?," as if he is supposed to answer--( ok, ok, I am slightly guilty of it too). However, there is a very fine line between "house pet" and "wild animal." Which brings me to the point of this post. In the beginning of the week an elderly woman living in Stamford, CT faced what I would call "one of the most terrifying days of her life." This woman, whose name I do not know, was the proud "pet" owner of a 14-year-old, 200 lb Chimpanezz named Travis. She raised the domesticated chimp from a baby and entered him in numerous television commercials and movies. He was even known in the community. One neighbor commented that it was usual routine to see the lady and Travis taking walks and driving together.
Yet, earlier this week Travis' innate barbarian nature kicked in. According to reports, Travis wanted to go for a drive. After being told no by his owner, Travis took the car keys and attempted to leave by himself. Now after this the details become a bit construe, but essentially, the woman calls a friend to come over and help tame Travis. When the woman gets to the house, Travis brutally attacked her, (resulting in her hospitalization and leaving her with no eyes, no nose, and half a jaw). From there, the lady proceeds to call the police. A team of policemen come to the house and end up shooting Travis down due to his dangerously violent rampage. A couple of days later reports claim the woman had giving her chimp Xanax to help calm him down. And as the days pass, more and more information reveal that this is not the first time Travis has shown signs of aggressive behavior.
Experts say it is not uncommon for people to "foster" baby chimps. However, due to their natural aggressive behavior, it is highly suggested giving them up at 5-6 years of age--Travis was 14-years-old and 200 lbs. Why in the world would someone want to sleep with an aggressive 200 lb animal in their home? It is in good intention that people take in pets and care for them. Yet, sometimes our good intentions end up hindering the natural order of things. In this case, one woman's neglectfulness to obey the law cost the life of Travis and mutually scared a good friend. CHeck out the story by clicking on the link below. Its crazy!
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6901843
