The Little Rock Zoo Dumps another animal

Then maybe they shouldnt be having all of these huge apes in such a tiny confinement. Why let mom have another one. Gorillas will cover hundreds of miles per day and here they are stuck in tiny little cages at night (I have seen their cage and actually held this baby gorillas hand) and then during the day about 1/2 acre. No wonder these gorillas die of heart attacks at young ages. They get no excersize!!!!! They already had a Gorilla die, in the past 2 years. This is abuse as far as Im concerned. They give us this bullshit that they are perserving the species. Don't they understand that they are preserving nothing if they can't live the way they are sppose to.

Primate Keeper Daphne Pfeiffer and Kristin Harris were the keepers there when we arrived with our chimpanzees, Mikey and Louie. Daphne was one of the keepers that were "SUPPOSE" to be taking care of our little Chimp Louie, who passed away THERE at the age of 6 years old. These people do not know what they are doing with the Apes. Most of them have no education in the species they care for. I hold Little Rock Zoo, Daphne Pfeiffer and Kristin Harris responsible for the death of a very healthy little chimp. OUR CHIMP! LOUIE!

Daphne Pfeiffer is also the one that insisted that we let our chimps out of their carry cages so her and Kristin could see the chimps. More like play with them. Daphne walked all around the dungeon they call a inside habitat (actually under the ground) with Mikey my 7 yr old on her back. She walked and showed him all around. They were giving each other kisses on the mouth and playing. While Daphne was having fun with Mikey, Kristin had Little Louie (NOW DEAD), and was playing with him.

Now you tell me. Does this sound like people that are professionals or people that work there because they like to play with the animals but then on their other side of their face, they tell the public that Chimps should not be pets. Um.......

Story-
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The first gorilla to be born at the Little Rock Zoo is leaving home.

Zoo officials say 5-year-old Mosi will eventually start to challenge his father, Fossey, for dominance in the family group and must be moved to keep the peace.

Primate keeper Daphne Pfeiffer told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/GQlDWP) Mosi probably won't really challenge his father until he is 8 or 9, but employees are beginning to see some irritation on the part of the females toward him. He'll be 6 on Oct. 10.

Primate keeper Daphne Pfeiffer told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Mosi probably won't really challenge his father until he is 8 or 9, but employees are beginning to see some irritation on the part of the females toward him.

Officials are going to ship him off to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, where he'll join a bachelor group.

Gorillas live in family groups consisting of a mature male, several females and their young.

Mosi' mother, Sekani, will have a baby this fall.
Story Credit Here

Jeanne Rizzotto has been found!!!!!

Hi Readers;
Any of my readers that are here often, certainly know who Jeanne Rizzotto is, the GREAT liar. I was also one of her victims.

A friend of mine who owns another blog, click here left him a message telling us a little about where Jeanne Rizzotto is. Sounds like she is still up to her old tricks. My grandmother always use to say to me, "what goes around comes around" I guess its her turn now. Hope she had fun when she had money because with Goggle now a days anyone can find out whatever they like about someone. No one will hire her, GOOD for them! Perhaps Jeanne Rizzotto will learn to stop taking other peoples money.

I think it's funny that she talked so bad about me losing my chimps and my house and now the tables are turned. I now live on a 30 acre ranch with 7 wonderful horses, lots of new friends, no neighbors, a little log home along with the main house. I have 2 peacocks that are just the most wonderful animals. We have 5 raccoons, 3 skunks and 3 fox that we get the chance to see and feed every night. What a life here we have! too bad JR. I don't normally wish bad things on people, but after knowing all of the innocent people she has hurt, had affairs with married men, and those she cheated out of their money!

If Jeanne Rizzotto would like to come here and live in her little trailer (which by the way was part of her bankrupsy), I do take in strays!

Here was the comment"
Jeanne came to Vero Beach FL and tried to get a job as a sales associate. Not long after interviews, she would ask each for a loan. None were given. I believe she's left town as no one would hire her"

The Little Rock Zoo Made the worst Zoo List - Yeah

For those of you readers that are new to this site The Little Rock zoo had 2 of my ex-chimps, one if which, Louie at the age of 7 passed away in their care!  He was still a baby. Never sick one day in his short little life. We love you Louie Louie. I have been trying to get the other one out of there (have a place for him) before he dies also. In the past 3 years they have has 2 infant chimps die, one adolescent, and a gorilla. I hope  this brings awareness to not only the elephants but also the Chimpanzees!
I HATE this zoo for allowing my little chimp to die. He was cared for with a vet that specializes in Reptiles! For Goodness sake/ if you scroll down you can read all of the posts about our little Louie and the uncaring way they told us about him. Our hearts are broken to say the least. We thought they would be well taken care of. My other chimp, Mikey is still being housed all by himself after 2 years. I believe they have no idea what they are doing. Sometimes it just seems as though no one cares. I even contacted Bruce Wagman of the aldf (whom I thought was a friend of mine and cared for all animals,) BUT he wasn't interested in helping me get Mikey out of there where he could be safe and with other chimps. The place where he should be I have been there dozens of times and actually placed a monkey there who is thriving with his female friend.

If anyone can help my little chimp who I love soooo much please contact me through this blog. The writer of this article, if you would like to know some of the real truth about this zoo, I'm the one to tell you. I would be more than happy to tell you everything from my own experience and things that were told to me by one of the caretakers of the zoo. Just google my name for my history.

Story;
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Catherine Doyle, 323-301-5730, Catherine@idausa.org

Little Rock, Ark. (January 17, 2012) – The 2011 list of the Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants, released yesterday by In Defense of Animals (IDA), once again exposes the hidden suffering of elephants in zoos, where lack of space, unsuitably cold climates and unnatural conditions condemn Earth’s largest land mammals to lifetimes of deprivation, disease and early death. The list is in its eighth year.

A promising trend toward the closure of inadequate elephant displays continued in 2011 and includes zoos that have appeared on IDA’s annual list. The most recent are the Central Florida Zoo and Southwick’s Zoo in Massachusetts. The Toronto Zoo’s appearance on the 2009 list sparked a campaign that led to the closure of that exhibit in 2012. This brings the number of zoos that have closed or will close their elephant exhibits to 22, and zoo experts expect that number to rise.

The Little Rock Zoo appears for the first time on IDA’s list with the following entry:

Little Rock Zoo (Arkansas) – Two’s not a crowd. After the death of Mary in 2011, IDA urged the zoo not to seek a cage-mate for remaining elephant Ellen but to instead close its outdated exhibit and send Ellen to a spacious, natural-habitat sanctuary. Instead, the zoo recklessly rushed in two older elephants acquired from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus – even though Ellen and one of the elephants were predictably incompatible – in order to meet the required AZA minimum of three elephants. Ellen died less than a month later, and the zoo found itself with two elephants and again out of compliance. With a shortage of elephants in zoos, it’s only a matter of time before this zoo is forced to end its elephant program. It should save Little Rock taxpayers some money and the elephants a lot of misery by ending its elephant program now.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park (California) earns yet another dishonorable mention, and the San Antonio Zoo (Texas) becomes the newest inductee into the Worst Zoos for Elephants Hall of Shame, a special honor reserved for the worst repeat offenders.

Another result of IDA’s relentless advocacy for elephants in zoos has been the creation of an historic management policy by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The new policy calls for an end to handling that requires keepers to share the same unrestricted space with elephants. If the AZA is serious about enforcing this policy, it will facilitate an end to the use of the bullhook, a weapon used by keepers to threaten and often inflict painful physical punishment.

“IDA’s Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants list illustrates the many serious problems that condemn elephants to lives of misery in zoos,” said IDA Elephant Campaign Director Catherine Doyle. “These include abnormal repetitive behaviors, hyper-aggression, social isolation, and deadly conditions such as foot and joint disease caused by lack of space and movement.”

“Scientific research has shown what elephants need: space to walk miles every day, large families with whom to spend their lives, and rich natural environments,” said Doyle. “Caging elephants in zoo displays is not humane and it is not conservation.”

For more information, please visit www.HelpElephants.com.


Contact: Catherine Doyle, 323-301-5730, Catherine@idausa.org

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization located in San Rafael, Calif. dedicated to protecting animals’ rights, welfare, and habitat through education, outreach, and our hands-on rescue facilities in India, Africa, and rural Mississippi.
Story credit here



_____________________________________________________________________________



IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS • 3010 KERNER BLVD. • SAN RAFAEL, CA 94901 • 415-448-0048

Is Little Rock Zoo Hiding Something? Is Steve Ross a fake!

Well folks as can read from previous e-mails, we entrusted the Little Rock Zoo with both our juvenile chimps, Mikey and Louie. Louie has passed away at the age of 7 years old!!!!! How in the world does a small chimp that we raised from 6 months old, DIE? He was such a healthy chimp. God, chimps in the wild don't even die from what they said he had. Mikey is in a cage all by himself. They haven't even gotten him in with a chimp family yet. For goodness sake private owners could have had that done already.

We contacted the State Attorney General of the state of Arkansas, and they refuse to give us the information? Why do you suppose that is when they are "suppose " to honor all FIOA's. Perhaps the little rock zoo had something to do with that? Hiding something Little rock zoo?

There have been 2 main caretakers for the Chimps, one of which is named Kristin.
She was "suppose" to give us an update on the chimps whenever we asked for one. It was an agreement that we had made BEFORE we even allowed the chimps to go there. So... for the first year Kristin would give me those updates. Then all of the sudden she stops. We accepted the fact that perhaps she was tired of it. THEN, Louie dies and we get a very unemotional e-mail telling us because she knew I would hear it through the media. So why was that promise broken? We didn't even get a phone call when Louie was sick.

I tried to get Mikey transferred out of there through Steve Ross. I had a really nice sanctuary that was willing to take him that have other chimps. I have been to this sanctuary dozens of times. If you don't know who Steve Ross is google him. He use to experiment on chimps and now he thinks he's this great scientist, writing books about their behaviour. What about all of the chimps you infected with diseases, that you watched day in and day out sit in tiny little concrete cages with no enrichment, house by themselves and tortured. Now why would he have the right to have a different view about the chimps. You either love them or you don't. Steve Ross has increased his career on people like myself, Jeanne Rizzotto and other private owners. Steve Ross told me that if I helped out their cause with not owning Chimps as pets that I would be apart of the SSP's special program. (I am not going to write the name I don't want him getting any recognition anymore from me.) I was excited about this program because it would have been with other private chimps. I agreed since my chimps were gone. UM I wonder if he promised Jeanne Rizzotto the same thing?

My husband wrote to Kristin at the little rock zoo on her PERSONAL e-mail account, not her's at the zoo on November 4th. We get an e-mail back from the director at the Little Rock Zoo named Mike Blankey stating that Kristin doesn't work there anymore. First off, how did her e-mail get to him? Did she send it to him? Secondly, is it true that Kristin isn't working there anymore? or did Mike Blankey lie? If Kristin isn't there doesn't it seem odd that after working at the Little Rock Zoo for many years, why would she leave a short 2 months after Louie passes away. So... Was Kristin fired? did she leave because of Louie? Is Mike Blankey lying?, and if so Why?

My next post will give you information on the day we dropped the chimps off, who got bit, and what little chimp got a few of his toes bitten off when in transfer from one zoo to the Little Rock Zoo. Stay tuned. You see I just don't care anymore about telling the truth of the secrets I hold when it comes to the entire placing Mikey and Louie at the Little Rock Zoo. I will also go more into detail about the type of person Steve Ross is, along with posting some of his uncaring e-mails to me during our bereavement time.

Here are the e-mails from Mike Blakely at the Little Rock Zoo



From: Blakely, Mike [@littlerock.org]


Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 3:30 PM

To: Gregg Harrison

Subject: FW: Chimp Response Mr. Harrison, I just wanted to let you know that Kristin is no longer a keeper at the Little Rock Zoo. By the way, Mikey is doing fine. Mike Blakely





From: Blakely, Mike

Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2011 3:15 PM

To: 'gharrison@amsred.com'

Subject: Chimp Response Mr. Harrison, The Little Rock Zoo is appreciative of the donation of Mikey and Louie to the Zoo. Both have received the best of care while in our custody. It is very unfortunate that Louie passed away, but his death was not due to any lack of care from our Zoo staff. The Zoo will continue to provide excellent care for Mikey, just as it does for the other chimps and all our animals at the Zoo. Thank you for your interest in Mikey’s welfare and for your support of the Little Rock Zoo. Mike Blakely, DirectorLittle Rock Zoo

The Little Rock Zoo has no answers for us about our Chimp Louie dieing! Nor do they care!

So many questions and no answers
by Greg Harrison

It has now been over 2 weeks since we received the email informing us of Louie’s passing, and while the grief, emptiness, and sadness is still unbearable at times, in those moments when we have some time to ponder lucid thoughts, all we are left with are many, many questions….and no answers.

Judie has always given you, her readers across the globe, the opportunity to probe and discuss while learning about apes and monkeys ion ways no other site on the internet provides. Her point of view is like no other, as we have owned primates, worked with primates, and when challenged with the ultimate questions that have confronted so many private owners before us – “What do you do when you know they can’t be with you any longer?” – We answered with what we thought at the time was the correct thing to do – and we placed them.

Here is a link to the story that was posted on the internet - fed by a press release by the PR folks at the zoo – and not really reported on. Take a quick second to read the link below, and then save the link so you can follow along with the tale:

http://www.katv.com/story/15298888/zoo-sadly-reports-loss-of-louie-the-chimp

Now that Louie has passed on from this world, and we have begun the grieving process, this blog would like for you readers to take a few minutes and ponder the questions that are running through our collective brains today:

1. Why weren’t we informed that Louie was sick? Why weren’t we asked for any of the “gen etic records” that the press release claims that could have “aided in the diagnosis” of Louie’s disease?

2. The zoo knew where the chimps were born. We discussed that with them at length before they went there. Why didn’t the zoo veterinarian call the facility, or us, to discuss her needs?

3. What resources did the vet tap into across the world for help with Louie’s condition? Did she call the CDC? Did she call the NIH? Was there any investigation into this condition?

4. The following link, easily found in a 30 second search on the internet, quotes a world renowned researcher, Dr. Alessio Fasano at the University of Maryland “"Apes, monkeys and chimpanzees rarely develop autoimmune disorders…” – so why was the zoo veterinarian convinced that what Louie had developed was indeed an AID?

http://www.physorg.com/news171565111.html

5. Was there an environmental trigger at the zoo that, if Louie had been born with this condition would have triggered his response? We find it very coincidental that this same zoo, in the past three years, has had three infants die, and now 7 year old Louie die. Chimps are very hearty, durable animals. Louie had maybe had two colds in his whole life before he got to Little Rock. He had a great appetite, was as strong as an ox, and in this picture taken at the zoo in June (found on Flickr by us last month) he looks pretty good – maybe even a little heavy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30866950@N07/5915794195/sizes/o/in/photostream/

6. Lastly – we have asked the USDA to investigate the treatment and care that Louie received from the zoo in the past several months. Now we know by reading this blog that this poorly run governmental agency has had its own disagreements with Judie and I – but we must try to find a way within ourselves to trust the system to do the right things and investigate his death the right way. We promise to keep you readers informed of the progress of things from here on out, and we are going to be working on a tribute site to Louie where readers will be able to see many pictures of Louie, his media work, and some real good stories that we will share with you.

Thank you all for your readership

Louie Our Chimpanzee Dies at the Little Rock Zoo

My husband Greg wrote this for Louie. I still can't write anything. The tears come down so hard I can't see.

"Our youngest son died yesterday morning. He was a week and a day short of his eighth birthday. The email said that he had an auto immune disorder that he had been fighting for several weeks, and that the doctors and the care staff had made every effort to save his little life, but, as they said in the email, it just wasn’t meant to be.

So sad that these people that had truly come to know our son would seem so indifferent to the only mother and father he had ever known when they described his passing to us. They fed, played, and cared for him for almost three years, and I believe in my heart that they had come to love him too, but not like Judie and I did.

We met Louie on Christmas Eve in 2003. The owners of the facility where we had adopted his brother, Mikey, sent us an email with a picture attached of a fuzzy little baby boy. He was 4 months old at the time. They said in the email that we just had to have him – that he was going to be small and was very lovable. We fell in love that cold Christmas Eve, and three months later he was home with us.

Louie was a very special son. He was smart, kind, gentle to all living creatures, and had a wonderful disposition. He loved his Vitamin Water and his Saturday morning pound cakes. He loved puppies and his big brother. He loved bellies – fat or skinny, old or young – he never met a belly he did not love. He bottle fed bear cubs, baby monkeys, and even a few children. But most of all, he loved Judie and I. He touched tens of thousands, maybe millions of lives. He performed at schools, nursing homes, colleges, people’s backyards, and on the television. He worked with Conan, Human Giant, All Time Low, and for Oprah. He was the face of Monkey Butt Powder, Citizens Bank, and at times the powerful Philadelphia radio station WMMR.

But in our lives, he was just our little Boo-Boo – the cutest little snaggle- toothed sweetest chimpanzee that anyone will ever know. Judie and I loved him with all of our heart, and all of our soul. In the last few months that the chimps lived with us, our hearts were broken because we knew that as they got older and stronger, our ability to keep them safe from harm and all of the world’s dangers were quickly coming to an end and that we needed to find for them a place where the dangerous world we live in would not bring them harm, and Little Rock Zoo offered them a sanctuary of sorts. They would be safe, and they would be together, and they would never have to leave. That was less than three years ago. Now Louie is gone to this mysterious disease, and Mikey is left all alone, missing his baby brother. Our hearts ache for the loss of our Louie, but they ache more for Mikey’s loss of his true best friend and his companion of over seven years.

I missed Louie every day as I went about my life since the chimps left, as familiar things I would think of or see would bring back the sweet memories of our time together. Just walking through a grocery store would take me back to things they love, and then it would take hours sometimes to shake off the emptiness that I would feel after seeing a simple container of pudding on a shelf. It has been said that losing a child is the hardest thing any parent will ever have to face, and now we understand. The hurt is profound, and the sense of loss is unbearable. We love you little Boo Boo, and we always will. Please watch over your big brother as he searches for your soul in the wind. We are sorry we couldn’t have been there to help you in your time of pain and suffering, and for that I will never forgive the people that we entrusted your care to – as they never even told us you were sick. We will cross our celestial paths once again in whatever lives there are beyond this one, and I will look for you to give me your biggest hug and shake your little butt for me as you did here on earth.

Louie My Chimpanzee has died at the Little Rock Zoo SOOOOOOO SAD!!!

This is probably the hardest and the most hurt we have ever felt in our entire lives. This to us is like losing a child. A child that was only 7 years old and had at least 40 more years with his brother Mikey.

This will be brief, for now. My husband and I will be doing a nice segment on Louie when we are able to stop feeling such great lose and hurt. Please check back.

One of the two loves of our lives has passed away at the Little Rock Zoo.

I entrusted this zoo to take care of Louie and Mikey, my ex-chimps, but now Mikey is alone and Louie at the age of 7 years old is gone and Mikey is still not with the troupe even after 3 years.

I am working on some angles with Mikey which at this point I can't disclose.

Because Mikey and Louie did allot of jobs in the media, they met allot of people that loved them. I'd like to give anyone the opportunity to e-mail us with your comments, stories of yourself and Louie or just to say goodbye to a wonderful, sweet little chimp.

You can e-mail us at

louiethechimp at gmail dot com

or you can post a comment here on this post. Thank you.

We love you Louie and you will always be our hearts.

Any media that would like to interview me I would be more than happy to tell you their story at the Little Rock Zoo. You can e-mail me at the same e-mail addy listed above.

Is a Monkey, Chimp, Lion or Tiger living next to you?

Readers, I just posted some information today about how you can tell whether a sanctuary is a good or bad one. it's worth reading, just a few posts down. This is NOT a sanctuary!!!!!!!! This is why people get confused about what is good and what is bad. The most important thing is that a Real Sanctuary DOES NOT interact with the animals!! That is not sanction for the animals. Anyone that thinks you can take the wild out of a wild animal is disillusioned! I know I worked with them for over 15 years. Once a wild animal always a wild animal. Look at the Travis/Sandra Herold/Charla Nash case. Travis was like a child to Sandra, she slept with him, lived with him in her home and he did all of the things that humans did but...... one day his wildness came out. Not only did he attack Charla but then tried to go after the person that loved him more than anything, the person that raised him from a baby. You just can't make them domestacted no matter what you do or how long you do it for. I had rescued a toothless monkey once and even with no teeth he broke a few bones in my hand by rapid biting me.

I hope when this movie comes out they don't put a spin on it that makes it look "cool" to own an exotic animal. I once met a tiger that was suppose to be put to death because he had pulled a woman with his paw to the edge of his cage and he ripped her apart through the cage!!!!!. Before the authroites could take the tiger the owners moved him to another facility and that's where I meet him. He was housed alone because he couldn't be trusted with any other tigers. People that own exotic animals should have in their wills to donate their organs because their death will surly come.

Story;
Just a few pages into a book given to him by a friend, Michael Webber couldn't believe what he was reading: Thousands of Americans keep exotic wildlife, from tigers to lethally poisonous snakes, in their homes and yards -- absolutely unregulated.

"It just seemed bizarre to me that there are some areas of the country that require you to get a dog license to own a poodle, but in that same area, you can get a tiger and raise it in your home," the Hollywood TV and film producer says by phone from Ohio. "Or you can get a venomous snake, a python, a chimpanzee, and there is absolutely no licensing requirement or oversight. Your neighbor can even stick an elephant in the back yard and there is nothing you can do about it."

The book, "Wildlife Warrior: More Tales Of Suburban Safaris" by former animal-control officer Tim Harrison, became the beginning of an odyssey for Webber, which led to the new documentary, "The Elephant in the Living Room," which opens at selected theaters in Denver next week.

The movie explores the strange and often shadowy world of "exotic" wildlife in the United States, from marketers and auctions to owners who have formed a deep attachment to their "pets." It focuses on Harrison, who has avidly crusaded against ownership and marketing of wildlife, and Terry Brumfield, an Ohio man who raised and kept two African lions, Lambert and Lacey, in his home.

Boulder native Pat Craig, founder of The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesberg, appears in "The Elephant in the Living Room." Camera file photo ( JON HATCH)touching, even cute, but it's anything but. Lambert, the male lion, escapes onto a local highway, where he is reported for chasing down speeding cars (911 operators were understandably incredulous). After that, the authorities give their owner an ultimatum: give the lions away, or keep them penned up. Brumfield, who formed deep emotional attachment to the lions as cubs, when he was recovering from a severe accident, reluctantly keeps them in a cramped, filthy horse trailer, where they live for several months.

Boulder native Pat Craig, founder of The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesberg, appears in "The Elephant in the Living Room." Camera file photo ( JON HATCH)touching, even cute, but it's anything but. Lambert, the male lion, escapes onto a local highway, where he is reported for chasing down speeding cars (911 operators were understandably incredulous). After that, the authorities give their owner an ultimatum: give the lions away, or keep them penned up. Brumfield, who formed deep emotional attachment to the lions as cubs, when he was recovering from a severe accident, reluctantly keeps them in a cramped, filthy horse trailer, where they live for several months.

The film mostly walks a carefully non-judgmental line, and Webber even confesses that he formed a bond with Brumfield, who comes off as well-meaning but clueless.

"These aren't evil people," Webber says. "They are people who love animals, arguably more than most people out there. They have a strong connection to their exotics, even stronger than some people have for their dogs or cats."

The story of Harrison's gentle attempts to persuade Brumfield to give up the lions is interwoven with harrowing tales of animals turning on their owners, hidden-camera footage of the people behind the exotic market and interviews with people on both sides of the debate.

But despite the sympathy he developed for Brumfield, Webber says he came down on the side of those who want to limit and regulate, if not ban, the ownership of most wildlife in the United States.

"I just experienced all the negative sides of this, for the animals and the owners," he says.

Pat Craig, a Boulder native who is founder and director of the Wild Animal Sanctuary near Keenesburg on the eastern plains of Colorado, appears in the film. He advised Webber and Harrison, and eventually took in some of the animals shown.

"For me the movie represents a great educational tool. Joe Public will see it and say, 'Wow, that is a huge problem.' I'm a real fan of the movie in that sense," Craig says.

But he is uncompromising in his refusal to "coddle" people who take in animals that they will deprive of a natural habitat and life, and for which almost all are unequipped to care for. He even criticizes Webber and Harrison for succumbing on camera to the lure of some lion cubs.

"All these people love their animals," Craig says. "But they either provide for them or don't provide. I don't doubt that (Brumfield) loved his lions. ... But we learned a long time ago that being sympathetic, having any hesitation initially (with owners) will end up costing the animals."

Craig points out that virtually all large exotic wildlife goes without any veterinary care simply because most vets won't -- or can't -- handle them. Most people have no exotic animal husbandry skills and almost none can provide a suitable habitat for say, a tiger, a bear, or even a large snake.

The Wild Animal Sanctuary permanently cares for almost 300 animals that have been abandoned by their previous owners, including about 70 tigers, 86 bears, 34 wolves and 40 African lions. The animals live on 320 acres and cost about $3 million a year to care for, Craig says. Animals are prevented from breeding through birth control. (The public may visit the sanctuary for a fee; for more information, go to wildanimalsanctuary.org.)

Terry Brumfield, an Ohio man who kept adult lions at his home, in "The Elephant in the Living Room." Courtesy photo. animals," Craig says. "But they either provide for them or don't provide. I don't doubt that (Brumfield) loved his lions. ... But we learned a long time ago that being sympathetic, having any hesitation initially (with owners) will end up costing the animals."

Craig points out that virtually all large exotic wildlife goes without any veterinary care simply because most vets won't -- or can't -- handle them. Most people have no exotic animal husbandry skills and almost none can provide a suitable habitat for say, a tiger, a bear, or even a large snake.

Since animals are considered property in most states and seizing them often results in lawsuits, Craig advocates laws requiring that owners pay for liability insurance.

"We should require a million dollars worth of insurance," he says. "It's amazing how so many owners who say they would never give up (an animal) find out they have to pay insurance premiums and suddenly say (screw) it."

Large carnivores get most of the film's attention, but it notes that Americans own everything from chimpanzees to poisonous snakes such as the deadly gabon viper. The non-profit, all-volunteer Colorado Reptile Humane Society in Longmont, which handles everything from small lizards to venomous snakes such as western diamondback rattlers, constantly battles the problem of people taking in animals they can't care for.

"Calling them exotics is funny to begin with," says associate director Jonathan Sculpin. "The only extraordinary thing is that we humans have taken them out of their natural setting. ... People put a 5-foot long snake an aquarium. But in the wild that animal has at least an acre of habitat over which it roams."

And as the film makes clear with breathless local TV stories, when wild animals behave like, well, wild animals, they tend to take the blame.

"In North America, we think the role of a tiger or a lion or a chimpanzee is to put clothes on them, to dress up a chimp in an Old Navy commercial with a spoon. But eventually, if (the chimp) tears your face, your genitalia, your hands and feet off, we say it went bad. But that is what a chimp is meant to do," Webber says, recalling a horrific 2009 incident in which a "pet" chimpanzee attacked a woman in Connecticut. News reports said neighbors were "shocked" by the animal's behavior.

An emergency room physician in the film, Dr. Roger Paholka of Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, shakes his head at the many cases he's seen of exotic pets harming people.

"We see them as safe and cuddly, as opposed to people in Africa, who see them as something that wants to eat your face," Paholka says onscreen.

But both Webber and Craig regret that public debate over the issue -- to the extent that there is any -- tends to be focused on public safety to the exclusion of the animals' welfare. The film ends with brief footage of animals rescued and released into the grasslands at the Wild Animal Sanctuary, a stark contrast to their earlier extreme confinement.
"These are non-domesticated, majestic animals," Webber says. "After the initial fascination, you become sad. Gosh, that tiger is never going to run, never hunt, and hopefully never breed. It is never going to be able to do things it was programmed and designed to do."
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Little Rock Zoo wants patrons to support the new Primate Bill

This is where I placed my 2 chimpanzees, Mikey and Louie.

LITTLE ROCK – Officials at the Little Rock Zoo are urging patrons to support proposed legislation that would ban private ownership of primates.

The zoo says it supports senate bill SB901 because of safety and health concerns. SB901 is scheduled to be considered by the house Public Health Committee on Thursday.

In an email, zoo director Susan Altrui says primates purchased by private citizens as pets often grow up to be adults that are difficult to control. As a result zoos are often asked to take custody of the primates, which they can't always do.

In addition, Altrui says pet primates pose a risk to public health because they can carry diseases such as Ebola and hepatitis B.

On Tuesday a group of monkey owners showed up at the State Capitol to speak out against the legislation.
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Here is the Bill- (click on each page to enlarge- opens as a PDF) bill found here

How does a person know if a sanctuary is a good one or a bad one?

Hi readers!
I received a question in regards to how does one know if a sanctuary is a good or bad one. This is such an important question that I thought it deserved a separate post. I have so much information on here that sometimes it's easy to overlook the comments.

Usually "good" sanctuaries are not located in a neighborhood around people, they are usually very remote with many acres of land to give the animals plenty of space, sanction and away from people for reasons such as, but not limited to, escapes, intruders.
They are a non-profit 501(c)3 and not an exhibitor. Their sanctuary is held by a board of directors with the non-profit owning the sanctuary. The sanctuary is not privately held. According to the USDA all exhibitors must "exhibit", "exploit" their animals by allowing people to come into the facility. Real sanctuaries do not allow people to be present around the primates. Educating people on Primates does not mean that they have to visit or see them in person. That's what zoos are for.

Before they open a new sanctuary they make sure that the primates are permitted not only on a state level but city and county. They obtain all permits before accepting any primates. They don't believe in private ownership of primates.

They speak to the public about how primates should not be held in a personal way. In no way do they help pet owners of primates with care and feeding because this is NOT something that they believe in. An example of this is if someone were to contact a real sanctuary about the care of their pet primate, the sanctuary would do everything in their power to educate that person and help them find a sanctuary to place them in instead of being some one's pet.

This question is so strong that that is why PETA and other organizations send people in under cover to find out what the sanctuary is really doing and what they are all about. Most of the time when these Animal Welfare people conclude their investigation the results are that it is not a true sanctuary.

Good sanctuaries usually have at least one person that has been trained in the drugs, dosage and weight combination to be able to dart an escaped Primate. This prevents any escapes from leaving the property. It sedates the Primate so that the caretakers can contain the animal back into it's enclosure or habitat.
Volunteers at good sanctauries are usually people with allot of experience or are working on a degree, not teenagers or friends.

With the question of good for the animals...

All Primates need ample space to thrive. They need to live with troupes of monkeys not singly housed or with one other monkey. In the wild which truly is where they belong they live in troupes up to 30 monkeys. When monkeys are not housed in proper space and in troupes some of their natural behaviour does not exist.

In my opinion and with my many years of experieince I would say that there are only a handful of good true sanctauries here in the US.

Charla Nash is holding hope for a new face

It could be tomorrow or it could be next year. But Charla Nash is holding out hope for a new face.

The 57-year-old Connecticut woman, who became the focus of the nation’s horror when she was viciously mauled by her friend’s pet chimpanzee in February 2009, is waiting for a generous family willing to sign away a loved one’s nose, lips, brow and chin — all the familiar things most of us take for granted in the mirror each morning.

For that to happen, the body of a 50-something female organ donor with Nash’s blood type and skin tone must become available, usually as a result of a terrible accident or some other untimely death. But because facial transplant surgery is so new, few people are even aware that faces can be donated.

“Yesterday’s news is good because more people now realize that becoming a face donor requires additional steps beyond checking off a box on your driver’s license,” said John Orr, a spokesman for Nash.

New England Organ Bank spokesman Sean Fitzpatrick said face donations are entirely different from liver, heart or lung donations. “The other organs are internal, and not outwardly representative of the donation itself,” he said. “The (donor) family will need to decide if this is something they want to participate in.”

And unlike other organs, Fitzpatrick said, “There’s not a national list of faces.”

A compatible donation could make Nash, who tops the list at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the nation’s first woman to receive a full face transplant.

“She’s very excited, and she’s really happy about how well things went for Dallas Wiens,” Orr said. Wiens, 25, of Texas, received the nation’s first full face transplant at Brigham and Women’s last week, after losing most of his facial features in a 2008 high-voltage accident.

Once a donor for Nash is found, she plans to share the experience, Orr said. She and her family have agreed to let NBC film her operation and recovery.
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Capital One has pulled the Chimp ad- thank you

McLean-based Capital One Financial Corp. has pulled a television commercial that featured a chimpanzee and says it will not use primates in any future ads.

The company says the decision was made after reviewing information from PETA about the treatment of apes used in advertising.

“We believe you have made profound and compelling arguments about the treatment of primates,” Capital One (NYSE: COF) said in a statement. “The ad in question is going off the air and we will not use primates in future advertising.”

The commercial did not air in the Washington market.

PETA claims chimps and other great apes used in advertising are typically babies forcibly taken from their mothers shortly after birth and are physically and psychologically abused as part of their training.

It says 10 of the 15 largest advertising agencies now prohibit the use of great apes in their advertising campaigns.
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Missouri is trying to pass a law to stop the breeding of Primates..... YEAH!!!!! Good bye Connie Casey Braun

Readers!!! This has made my year!!!! Everyday I do research on articles about Primates, and for the most part it is all bad or very sad news, but not today!!! This is something to hope for and will change the world of primates as we know it.

Connie Casey Braun of the Missouri Primate foundation (there's that word again that makes me laugh... foundation haha) is the largest breeder in the US and then there is another chimpanzee breeder in Missouri that recently bought out the breeder chimps from the Glasses in Texas. if these 2 breeding facilities have to have all of the chimps fixed that will be the end of pet chimps, pets in the entertainment business, chimp attacks, babies being ripped off their moms screaming. this my dear readers would be a miracle, I will keep my fingers crossed for this law to go through. KUDOS to the St Louis Zoo!!!!!

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JEFFERSON CITY — A chimpanzee named Travis mauled a woman and left her face unrecognizable when he escaped his home in Stamford, Conn., and attacked Charla Nash, a close friend of his owner on Feb. 16, 2009. A year later, another chimpanzee, Sueko, also escaped from his home in Kansas City, and attacked a police car. Both Travis and Sueko came from Jefferson County, Mo.

The Senate Agriculture Committee debated a bill that would require owners to obtain permits for and neuter their primates incited passionate testimonies from several Missouri primate breeders.

Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis City, sponsored the bill after Eric Miller, veterinarian and senior vice president at the Saint Louis Zoo, requested these large and exotic animals be regulated.
"Missouri is one of the few states with no (statewide) regulation of large and exotic animals," Miller said. "It's a national standard Missouri is working on catching up to."

Currently, Missouri regulates these primates on a county-by-county basis. Some counties in Missouri don't have primate requirements; others require primate owners to register their pets with the county sheriff. Owners must give the sheriff's office their address, a description of their primate and a description of the primate's living conditions.

If the bill passes, the Missouri Department of Agriculture would issue the statewide permits to primate owners, however, they have not yet taken a position for or against the bill.

More than 25 people attended a March 3 committee hearing to speak against the bill. Miller, the only proponent who spoke in favor of the bill, testified on behalf of the Saint Louis Zoo.

Suzanne Windsor, a U.S. Department of Agriculture-licensed exhibitor of primates, opposed the bill.

"It's an all out ban," Windsor said. "They are trying to go above and beyond what the state is supposed to be doing by going above and beyond federal regulations."

Her main concern was the bill's requirement to spay and neuter — both of which are high-risk surgeries for a primate, whose reproductive system resembles a human's. She said it would result in the gradual phase-out of Missouri primate breeding.
"For people that are USDA-licensed to breed and sell, it causes unnecessary surgeries on primates that could cause their deaths," Windsor said. "If you have a 22-year-old primate that's never been spayed, there's a good chance she could never come off that table [alive]."

Keaveny said he is looking into changes to the bill to appease the opposition. He said he has received several suggestions from a veterinarian to help the bill pass next year.

"We are open to making those [necessary] adjustments," he said.

The bill would exempt zoos, nonprofit organizations, animal control and law enforcement, circuses, educational institutions and exhibits, animal sanctuaries and veterinarians.

Currently, 15 states have a permit system for owning primates and 20 states have outlawed some, if not all, primate ownership. States that don't have regulations include Missouri border states Kansas and Nebraska.

A violation of the act would result in a class A misdemeanor charge unless the person intentionally releases a non-human primate, which would result in a class D felony.
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Suco, the 21 year old Chimpanzee escapes and now resides at the Kansas City Zoo

Readers, this chimpanzee was bred and sold by Connie Casey Braun of the Missouri Primate Foundation. I also have to chuckle when I type foundation because Connie Casey braun is strictly a Chimpanzee breeder and taking the poor babies to birthday parties. in other words folks, Connie lives off of her chimpanzees, they support her even though they are in small indoor cages. ( I have photos of her inside enclosures)

This Chimp was bred from Susie and Coco the chimpanzees. Well if you remember, years ago Susie was the one that Jason Coats in Missouri shot dead! Coco, the breeder was brought over from Africa and breed all of the females until he died a few years ago at the Missouri Primate Foundation. When he died Connie Casey Braun buried him in her yard along with a Zebra that hung itself because they put it in a chimp cage with netting. There are many other chimps buried out at that property. I know that Coco and Susie were her breeders, both of my ex-chimpanzees father was also Coco. So you see folks nothing ever comes out good when it comes to the babies that are stolen by Connie Casey Braun. For some examples, Mikey and Louie, my ex-chimps, Travis, Timmy, Susie, Connor, Kramer and Moe. This is why they should not be bred, babies stolen from their moms, forced to live like humans and ones dieing from either boredom, child birth or sickness.
SHAME ON YOU CONNIE CASEY BRAUN, GET A HEART AND A CONSCIENCE!!!!!! Better yet get a real job, go out and make money off of yourself and give those chimps sanctaury.

For the people that want their chimp back, do some reading on the Travis case and don't think your chimp isn't capable of doing the same thing, because she is!!!!

Story'
When Sueko arrived at the Kansas City Zoo in October she was overweight, accustomed to a human lifestyle.

The adult chimpanzee rode along with a trucker and his girlfriend and apparently enjoyed a diet heavy on people food.

Sueko carried quite a pot belly when she arrived at the zoo in October.

Now she’s eating fruits and vegetables — and has lost weight.

“She looks good now,” said Liz Harmon, general curator at the zoo. “She looks like our other girls. She was pretty chunky.”
But Sueko remains in a tug-of-war between Kansas City and the people who claim her.

The city confiscated the animal after she escaped from Mark Archigo in October and ran rampant in a residential neighborhood near 78th Street and Indiana Avenue. It was not the first time Archigo was in trouble because of Sueko.

The city has charged Archigo and Deborah Kaumans with keeping or harboring a nonhuman primate within the limits of Kansas City. But Archigo and John Michael Oyer, who claims to own Sueko, want to get back the chimpanzee they have raised since she was a baby.

The zoo is a much different life from the one Sueko had been living. She reportedly was toilet-trained and traveled with Archigo, sleeping on a second-tier bunk in the cab of the semi, police have said.

Despite Sueko’s new diet, the 21-year-old still has a long way to go before fitting in with the rest of the chimpanzees at the zoo. Officials won’t try to assimilate her until her legal status is resolved. They’ve been down that road.
“Because of the strong social bond and how difficult it is to get chimps together, it’s equally hard on them to separate them,” said Zoo Director Randy Wisthoff. “We wouldn’t even think about that process until we knew for sure whose property she was.”

Sueko has spent time at the zoo before. She was sent there in 1995 after being accused of biting people. Zookeepers introduced her to a young male and reported that she was making progress.

But Archigo threatened legal action, and the city returned Sueko to him after he promised to keep her outside the city limits.

After that, Oyer said, Archigo gave up his half-ownership in Sueko, leaving him as full owner. Archigo could not be reached for comment.

Oyer believes the city has “illegally confiscated his property” and that her time in the zoo is “undoing years of hard work and training.”

Oyer and Archigo bought the chimp in 1989 to start a tree-trimming service called Monkey Tree Service. Oyer said city codes at the time allowed “temporary animal display acts,” which he believes made it legal to keep Sueko in the city. But five years later, Oyer said, the city changed its codes to outlaw chimps without a special permit, and the city refused to grant him a permit.

“We already had her here,” he said. “We should have been grandfathered in.”

Oyer said the city is “forcing him to file a lawsuit” to get back the chimp, whose name he said is spelled “Suco,” a combination of her parents’ names of Susie and Coco.

Now, as zookeepers wait for a new court date, they report that Sueko — the spelling in city files — is doing well.

“We have seen no health issues with her,” Harmon said. “We’ve not seen any behavioral issues with her.”

It only took about 10 days to get Sueko to start eating vegetables.

She works well with her keepers, presenting her hands and feet for inspection when prompted. She still prefers to sleep on a blanket instead of building a nest of hay as the other chimps do, but that’s not a big deal, Harmon said.
The real test will come if and when zookeepers are confident the chimp is at the zoo to stay. Then they can try to introduce her to the others. Integrating her could take weeks, months or even years.

Assimilation among chimps is not just a matter of introducing new playmates. The powerful apes have strict social hierarchies and are aggressive in enforcing them.

“Chimps can kill each other,” Harmon said.

The Kansas City Zoo has 15 chimpanzees, not counting Sueko, that live in two groupings. Two older females keep each other company and the rest are part of a single troop on exhibit. Sueko would not only have to find her place within that troop but also learn what is — and isn’t — expected of her.

“They’ve got a very complex social structure, and she doesn’t know what all that stuff is,” Wisthoff said. “She’s sort of in a reversal of the boy who lived with wolves.”
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Shame on you Capital One haven't you learned anything???????

For all of those that have a Capitol one credit card..... The interest you pay to this company is paying for them to use Chimpanzees in their advertisements which is NOT cheap and is to say the least... CRUEL.Not only do these chimps have to travel in small cages to get to their destiny, they are made to do actions over and over again with long stressful days doing things that they really don't want to do. Then the saddest part is that when this owner can't use this chimp for money anymore when it gets to big, where does that chimp go? These exhibitors that have chimps don't keep them around for 40-50 years feeding and housing them when they can't make money off of them anymore! Think about all of this Capital One when you think it's so cute to use them. SHAME ON YOU!!!!!

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Despite recent controversy surrounding the use of chimpanzees in advertising, Capital One is airing a new commercial that features a chimpanzee "actor." Chimpanzees and other great apes used for advertising are typically very young animals who were forcibly taken from their mothers shortly after birth. They are often physically and psychologically abused during training to ensure that they will perform confusing, unnatural behaviors on cue. By the time apes reach approximately 8 years of age, they are too strong to be safely handled and are often discarded at wretched roadside zoos or other substandard facilities. Chimpanzees can live into their 60s, so life after "retirement" from the entertainment industry often means decades spent in appalling conditions.

The American Humane Association (AHA), which was reportedly on set during the production of the Capital One commercial, only monitors animals when they are on set and does nothing to prevent behind-the-scenes abuse and neglect. The AHA does not monitor pre-production training, the living conditions of animals, premature separation of babies from their mothers, or the disposition of animals when they are no longer useful to trainers.

Ten of the top 15 advertising agencies in the U.S.—including BBDO, Young & Rubicam, and McCann Erickson—now have policies in place that prohibit the use of great apes in their ads. In 2010, Dodge, Pfizer, Heartland Payment Systems, and Europcar pulled or modified ads that featured apes after learning about the ethical problems associated with exploiting these highly intelligent and sensitive animals.

Using the form below, please send a quick, polite note to Capital One and urge the company to follow the lead of other companies by agreeing to pull its commercial featuring a chimpanzee.
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2 Years ago today was the horrible Travis the Chimp/Sandra Herold/Charla Nash incident

Travis the chimp destroyed Charla Nash’s face, eyesight and her trust in wild animals when the animal mauled her on this date in 2009.

That horrific attack on Feb. 16, 2009 thrust Connecticut’s exotic animal laws into the spotlight and the state Department of Environmental Protection is revamping the law and planning to ban chimps, gorillas, orangutans, pythons and some more common animals, like wild ferrets.
Dozens of animal lovers, reptile shop owners and exhibitors voices their concerns at a public hearing at DEP headquarters in Hartford on Tuesday.
“It will really hurt the reptile industry. Connecticut, for a long time, has had some really lenient laws on the big snake and lizard community. A ban would be devastating,” Jeremy Turgeon, of J and D Reptiles, said.
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Charla Nash's Lawyer is sueing Connecticut

Attorney Charles Willinger says the law regulating large animals as pets has been on the books in Connecticut for decades, but the problem is it was never enforced for the pet chimpanzee who mauled his client, Charla Nash.

“In terms of my client, obviously, it’s a little bit too little too late,” says Willinger.

Willinger is preparing a $150 million lawsuit on behalf of Nash to cover her mounting medical and health care bills.

Asked if Nash may be preparing for a face transplant, Willinger would only say that it’s something they’re looking into.

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection is holding a hearing on the issue tonight at 6 p.m. at DEP Headquarters at 79 Elm Street, Hartford. More details below.
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DEP Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Regulations Concerning Possession of Wild Animals


Public Hearing at DEP Headquarters Feb. 15

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will hold a public hearing February 15 on proposed changes to regulations governing the importation, possession, and liberation of wild animals.

The public hearing will take place at 6 p.m. at DEP Headquarters, 79 Elm Street, Hartford.

The proposed regulations are the result of the passage of Public Act 09-198, which required the development of new regulations affecting the importation, possession, and liberation of wild animals in the state.

DEP Commissioner Amey Marrella said, "The proposed regulations create a workable and efficient means of regulating possession of wild animals – while at the same time protecting public health and safety, agricultural interests, and the health of native plants and animals."

"These proposed regulations," Marrella said, "are the result of a robust process that included three informal public forums, discussions with interested stakeholders and consultation with other state agencies – such as the Departments of Public Health and Agriculture – whose responsibilities touch on this issue. We thank everyone who has participated in this process and look forward to hearing additional comments at the upcoming public hearing."

Proposed Regulations:

Establish lists of wild animals that, due to their inherent threat to public health and safety, agricultural crops or native plants and animals may not be imported or possessed in Connecticut.

Allow municipal parks, zoos, marine mammal parks, aquaria, circuses, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories, and research facilities to import and possess many species without a permit – and establish permit provisions for these facilities to have animals listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern in Connecticut.

Provide for the general public to possess a wide range of animals – generally speaking, those commonly sold in the pet trade – without a permit.

The regulations would also establish:

Explicit criteria for what constitutes a museum, nature center, or exhibitor;

Provisions to allow for veterinarians to care for a range of animals;

Requirements for notification in the event of wild animal escape; and

Wild animal disease prevention and reporting requirements.

All interested persons are invited to express their views on the proposed regulations at the February 15 public hearing.

The DEP will also accept written comment on the proposed regulations through the close of business on March 1. Comments can be mailed to the DEP at 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, to the attention of George Babey, Public Hearing Officer; or emailed to George.babey@ct.gov

All comments submitted to DEP in writing or offered at the public hearing will be considered in the development of the final regulations. The final regulations must be approved by the General Assembly’s Regulations Review Committee before they can take effect.

Copies of the proposed regulations may be obtained online at www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2586&Q=471192, by writing the DEP Bureau of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT, 06106, or by calling (860) 424-3011.
Information found here

Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The HSUS speaks out about Chimpanzees in entertainment

February 08, 2011


Mistreatment of Chimpanzees Is No Joke

I was in the Dallas area two Sundays ago — one week before the Super Bowl game at Cowboys Stadium. I was there to take a look at the construction of our new Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center, an important add-on to the larger animal-care enterprise we operate at the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, in Murchison, Texas. As I do whenever I go to Black Beauty, I criss-crossed the ranch pastures to see many of the 1,000 or so animals who live on them. Among the first creatures I see on my visits are three chimpanzees — Kitty, Lulu and Midge, since their home is near the entrance at Black Beauty. They’ve got an expansive outdoor habitat, they receive a healthy diet, and they can enjoy each other’s company. But it’s a world apart from their native habitats in Tanzania or Uganda, and they are far away from their family members and the freedom that life in the wild would bring.

The HSUS

Kitty, one of the chimpanzees at our Black Beauty sanctuary.

They are there because of our human failings. People once used them in circuses and laboratory research, but then discarded them when they’d had enough of them. It’s never a good outcome to be discarded, and there’s usually some sort of trauma associated with it. But beyond that, I also think about it from our organizational perspective, and especially the resources needed to care for them. HSUS and The Fund for Animals — really, our donors — are financing the housing and feeding of these animals for decades, at a cost that will ultimately run into seven figures.

On the weekend following my visit, the Super Bowl was played just about an hour’s drive from Black Beauty. I watched it from the comfort of my home, hoping that in the torrent of ads, I would not see any more of those silly chimpanzee commercials — not because I don’t think the animals are appealing, but because I know what happens to them when they grow up. The animal-training companies that rent out animals for these gambits typically get rid of them when they reach early adolescence and they are too strong to be used on movie sets or in advertisements. They are cast aside at 7 or 8 years old, or even younger, even though they have a life expectancy of up to 60 years.

I was pleased to see many fewer chimpanzees in ads, especially compared to a few years ago when it seemed they were everywhere. This time, CareerBuilder stood alone in its callousness, continuing the theme it’s developed in recent years. For their cheap, tawdry and not very funny 30-second advertisement, they keep the animal-training companies in business, and the consequences are clear: chimpanzees will be abandoned, and operations like Black Beauty Ranch will have to clean up the mess they’ve made. The handful of heroic great ape sanctuaries operating in small rural outposts throughout the nation will spend millions in the decades ahead dealing with the lack of forethought exhibited by CareerBuilder and similar companies that just don’t get it. They are happy to profit, while the animals will pay with their lives, so many of them being forced to live in roadside zoos, research labs, or as pets in someone’s backyard or basement. In the end, only a small percentage of them go to sanctuaries.

In yesterday’s Christian Science Monitor, Patti Ragan of the Center for Great Apes put the lie to any fanciful claims about the educational value of such commercials, or the notion that CareerBuilder had merely brought its chimps “out of retirement.” What the company did was to line up a new generation of young chimpanzees, taken from their mothers at an early age and channeled into the pipeline of caged confinement. Ragan also points out that such portrayals of chimpanzees have a negative conservation impact — who would think that these animals are endangered in the wild when they are used so frivolously?

It’s shocking corporate indifference at work, blithely pressing chimpanzees into service for a commercial, in a day when millions of people understand that this kind of use is plainly wrong. It’s the wrong kind of brand awareness, and dozens of companies have pulled such advertisements or declined to use great apes in such demeaning and harmful fashion. To use chimpanzees as clowns is the oldest and the crudest of vaudevillian gimmicks, and CareerBuilder deserves the criticism being sent its way in the social media.

At HSUS, we’re active on a full range of fronts to help chimpanzees, whether it’s pushing to get chimpanzees out of laboratories, teaching people about chimps and their endangerment, supporting the work of sanctuaries and the protection of chimpanzees in the wild, investigating the mistreatment of chimps and other primates in captivity, pushing for passage of the Captive Primate Safety Act and the Great Ape Protection Act, or calling upon the federal government in our Change Agenda to list all chimpanzees as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (currently, wild chimpanzee populations are listed as endangered while captive chimpanzee populations are listed as threatened).

It’s time for all of the ad agencies to stop using chimps in entertainment, and it’s time for companies to make a similar pledge. It couldn’t be an easier commitment, and there’s no sacrifice involved. Just let the human mind do something more creative and entertaining than have a few baby chimpanzees walk around in human clothing. And do something not just for the animals, but for the self-sacrificing animal advocates who have plenty of other things to occupy their moral attention and their energies than caring for abandoned chimpanzees.
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Connecticut DEP had the authority for decades to make a list of banned animals-Travis the Chimp

HARTFORD — —


The lawyer for the woman mauled by a 200-pound chimp in February 2009 is mystified that the state only acted after the attack to add gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans to the list of potentially dangerous animals banned in Connecticut.
The DEP next week will hold a hearing on proposed new regulations to carry out a 2009 law that added the primates to the list of banned animals.

"It's too little, too late, for my client,'' Charles Willinger of Bridgeport said of Charla Nash, who lost her hands and much of her face when she was attacked by Travis the chimp, owned by Nash's friend, Sandra Herold, in Stamford.

Willinger said that the commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection had the authority for decades to make a list of banned animals, including primates over 50 pounds, and then enforce the ban.

"It remains a real mystery to us why they didn't,'' Willinger said Tuesday.
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Executives at Lincoln Park Zoo were not amused at the Careerbuilders commercials

Super Bowl advertisers will do anything for a laugh when they’re paying $3 million for 30 seconds of air time. But executives at the Lincoln Park Zoo were not amused by Chicago-based Careerbuilder.com’s Super Bowl ad Sunday. It featured chimpanzees dressed in human garb sideswiping and trapping a helpless guy in his car.

The Zoo lashed out at Careerbuilder for an “inappropriate use and portrayal of the species” in the Super Bowl ad, which Careerbuilder.com created in-house. Lincoln Park Zoo spokeswoman Sharon Dewar said zoo CEO Kevin Bell sent his counterpart at Careerbuilder a letter expressing his concerns a while ago, but never received a response. A Careerbuilder spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday.

Dewar said using chimps in ads and dressing them as humans contributes to the impression that chimpanzees are not an endangered species, when in fact they are. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has predicted chimpanzees could become extinct within 10 to 50 years.

Many ad agencies have agreed not to use chimps in advertising. But Careerbuilder had used chimps successfully in previous Super Bowl advertising and decided to bring them back this year.
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