Comments on: Why Chimpanzees Are NOT Pets

By: Gus Snarp

Gus Snarp — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:49:43 +0000

This is so absurd, why on earth is this legal? In all honesty we should not allow any non-domesticated animals as pets, not just primates. And I will probably anger some people in that I include all exotic animals, rodents, lizards, birds, pretty much anything other than cats and dogs are not and should not be allowed to be pets, or to be imported for any purpose other than legitimate scientific ones.

I have always said that the problem with people who have primates as pets is that they are violating the cardinal rule of pets: no one should have a pet that is smarter than they are.

By: Julie

Julie — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:48:44 +0000

Wow, the traumatic event that results in a baby chimpanzee being ‘adoptable’ would be enough to create a serial killer out of a child…
Humans have the capacity to think, empathize and to to calculate risk… why don’t we?

By: Liz

Liz — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:39:16 +0000

I agree – chimps are NOT pets. I had occasion to see just how strong they are at a ranch in California where two chimps were living. Both were in “caregiver” situations having come from “pet” homes. The older one spent much time up a tree near the barn but when we approached, it ran down and with one hand neatly plucked a fresh, full length 2 x 4 right off the fence it was nailed to and began brandishing it and screaming. We were not harmed but the power and aggression were breathtaking. The younger one had been taught to use wrenches and hammers for some tv or movie appearance and you don’t want to know what the ranch truck looked like after this “cute” little guy was done with it.

By: GW

GW — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:27:57 +0000

I’m continually boggled by the idea of a person “owning” a chimp as a “pet”.
In my mind chimpanzees are sentient beings with language and culture and “owning” one might as well be likened to “owning” a slave.

As far as I’m concerned this notion holds true for any great apes, elephants, dolphins and larger parrots (ie macaws and grey parrots).

I’m fine with the idea of humans being “care-givers” to such an animal – those injured, (accidentally) orphaned and/or otherwise incapable to living on their own in the wild – where they should be to begin with.

People really need to realize that such animals are not humans and therefore don’t think and act like them, but neither are they cute little cuddly creatures to be forever treated and thought of as helpless babies to be dressed up and trained to do tricks.

By: Sorbet

Sorbet — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:41:46 +0000

You would enjoy this new book by Sylvia Earle. The World Is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean's Are One