Hidden Dangers of Using Great Apes in Productions

Attacks & Contagious Diseases:
THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF USING GREAT APES IN PRODUCTIONS
THE ANIMALS REBEL: PRIMATE ATTACKS AND ESCAPES

Chimpanzees and orangutans, even as juveniles, are extremely powerful and dangerous animals. They can
be as much as five to eight times stronger than an average human male. Regardless of the amount of
time they spend in captivity, they remain wild animals and do not lose their natural instincts. Many
chimpanzees and orangutans used in entertainment, frustrated as a result of a substandard life in captivity,
take any opportunity to escape and have lashed out at their trainers and innocent bystanders. The following
are just a few examples.

September 10, 2005/Royal, Nebraska: Four chimpanzees, including Tyler and Ripley, who were
once used in television and movies, escaped from their cage at a roadside zoo in Nebraska, confronted zoo
visitors, and terrorized the neighborhood as they ran amok in the town of Royal. Tyler was shot dead, and
Ripley, the only chimpanzee to survive the shootout, was transferred to a substandard roadside zoo and
breeding facility in Missouri. That would be Connie Casey Braun
March 3, 2005/Caliente, California: Two former “show biz” chimpanzees raised at Bob Dunn’s Animal
Services were shot and killed after escaping from their cage at Animal Haven Ranch and attacking a couple
who were visiting the facility. The woman’s thumb was bitten off and her husband was severely mauled. The
chimpanzees bit off his nose, an eye, part of his cheek, his lips, most of his fingers, both testicles, and much of
the flesh from his buttocks, face, and left foot. According to a medic at the scene, “His face was
gone.”

April 22, 2001/Ventura, California: According to a Ventura County Animal Bite Record, a 2-year-old male
chimpanzee named Mr. P, belonging to Sid Yost’s Amazing Animal Actors, was ordered to be
quarantined for 30 days after lunging at and biting a 12-year-old boy on the left hand.

April 19, 2001/Jefferson County, Missouri: Three chimpanzees with Chimparty, a company owned by
Connie Casey Braun that supplies primates for parties and TV commercials, escaped from an unlocked
cage. A teenage boy shot and killed one of the chimpanzees.

January 30, 2001/Las Vegas, Nevada: A 1-year-old female chimpanzee named C.J., belonging to Monica
Riddell’s Xotic Stars of Las Vegas, bit a person on the finger during public exhibition.

April 9, 2000/Franklin, Tennessee: A chimpanzee named Angel, brought by Sid Yost of Amazing Animal Actors—an outfit that has provided numerous animals to Hollywood productions—to Blockbuster Video for
photo ops and to promote a Critter Gitters movie, fiercely bit a 9-year-old girl on the hand after posing for
a photograph. The girl’s hand swelled and required stitches. Yost left the state before the chimpanzee could
be quarantined. The girl’s parents filed a $50,000 lawsuit against Yost, Critter Gitters, and Blockbuster,
claiming that the defendants should have been aware of the danger inherent in subjecting Angel to a
crowded area with so many children. None of the parties named in the lawsuit offered to pay for medical
expenses.

September 28, 1996/Los Angeles, California: Actor Elizabeth Hurley reeled back in shock when she was
bitten on the ear by a chimpanzee while appearing on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show.

August 24, 1992/Inman, South Carolina: A 78- year-old woman hanging sheets on a clothesline in her
back yard was attacked twice by one of three chimpanzees who had escaped from Hollywild Animal
Park. The woman was repeatedly knocked to the ground and rolled around by the 100-pound chimp.
She was treated for minor injuries at a medical center. Hollywild Animal Park has provided animals for several
commercial and movie productions, including The Stand, Days of Thunder, and The Last of the
Mohicans.

DISEASES TRANSMITTED FROM GREAT APES TO HUMANS
Captive chimpanzees, orangutans, and other primates can pose a serious public health hazard. Primates can
harbor many diseases transmissible to humans and other animals. Primate trainers and handlers, as well as
others who come into contact with them, including children, have been infected with dangerous illnesses
and infections, typically through bites but also through saliva absorbed through the eyes and mouth.
Some of the zoonotic (animal-to-human disease transmission) risks associated with primates include the
following:

• Herpes B virus (extremely high mortality rate in human patients who develop clinical symptoms)
• Marburg virus (causes a deadly hemorrhagic fever)
• Hepatitis A virus (Jack Hanna contracted hepatitis from one of his chimpanzees)
• Pox viruses
• Measles
• Rabies
• Mycobacteria (responsible for tuberculosis)
• Salmonella bacteria
• Campylobacter bacteria (one of the leading
causes of diarrhea in humans)
• Giardia (caused by a protozoan; symptoms include chronic bloody diarrhea)
• Other parasitic diseases (some serious enough to cause abscesses in the brain, liver, or lungs)
• Fungal diseases (such as streptothrichosis, candidiasis, and ringworm)
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals • NoMoreMonkeyBusiness.com

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