When good chimps turn bad

[seamusTX]

Stamford, Connecticut -- A 15-year-old, 200-pound male chimpanzee that had been kept as a pet went on a rampage Monday, attacking a visitor at its owner's home.

The chimp's owner stabbed it multiple times to protect the visitor, who was severely injured.

When police arrived, the chimp cornered an officer in a cruiser. The officer fatally shot the chimp.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld ... 6243.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Given the small number of chimps kept as pets, there is quite a history of them going off this way.

- Jim
[Edited to correct typo.]

[Oldgringo]

This may have something to do with WalMart only stocking goldfish, etc. in its pet departments.

[jorge]

First pit bulls. Now chimpanzees. What's next?

[seamusTX]

Mongooses.

- Jim

[longtooth]

Are several Mongooses mongeese

[seamusTX]

No. One mongoose. Two or more mongooses.

Update: The human victim of the chimp attack is still in critical condition. Police are talking about filing criminal charges against the chimp owner.

According to reports, the chimp had been agitated earlier in the day, and the owner gave it a dose of the anti anxiety drug Xanax that was not prescribed for the chimp.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... gD96DNV5G0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[Keith B]

Just saw an update on this and they said the lady that was attacked was a longtime friend and very familiar with the chimp. They are speculating that the woman had just returned from having her hair cut very short and that her drastic change in physical appearance may have set the chimp off.

Sad situation all in all. I have a good friend who is a veterinarian. He has always said we need to remember that animals can have mental issues or experience changes in physical or mental health just like humans and you never know when they can go off the deep end. Chimps are exceptionally strong anyway, and you take a 200lb one and he would have super-human strength.

[Oldgringo]

This proves that one should keep one's monkey under wraps - for sure.

[ELB]

Dogs make good pets. Cats make good pets. Chimps, tigers, wolves,.... make good wild animals.

[Oldgringo]

We make much about guns in the home and defending our families and ourselves from home invaders and other BG's wherever we encounter them.

I've just listened to the transcript of the 911 call of the monkey attack. Apparently, the owner of this min-ape didn't have a gun?

[stash]

Heard on the news this morning that the poor women lost her nose, jaw and eyes. She needs a prayer.

[seamusTX]

Another one: In Stockholm, Sweden, a chimp in a zoo regularly collects rocks all morning. Sometimes he breaks up pieces of concrete to use as weapons. In the middle of the day, he suddenly starts hurling them at visitors. Several people have been injured over the years.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... sec-nation" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You would think they would have put up a fence by now.

- Jim

[bkblaw84]

Ouch! I think I'll stick with my Boston Terrier

[KD5NRH]

Seems other monkeys are up in arms over this:
http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publicati ... 21809.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[seamusTX]

For anyone who wants to avoid HSUS, here's the gist of it:

February 18, 2009

WASHINGTON — In the wake of an attack on a Connecticut woman by a chimpanzee, U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and David Vitter (R-La.) plan to re-introduce the Captive Primate Safety Act. The bill seeks to protect public safety and promote animal welfare by prohibiting interstate commerce of primates for the pet trade. U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives (H.R. 80) in January.

And in related news, the family of the victim of the attack is preparing to file a $50 million lawsuit against the owner of the chimp:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... AD96VQ9E80" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim