Baraza

Hi everyone, it’s Paula here.

In a previous job I helped rescue chimpanzees that were orphaned in Congo and Sudan due to the bushmeat and illegal pet trade.

As you can imagine, interacting with baby chimps has left an indelible mark on me, and I’m so proud of the work of our partners, Tacugama, Limbe Wildlife Center, JACK, Lola ya Bonobo and Cercopan. So, I hope you’ll understand that after listening to the 911 call which is available on Youtube I’m in a bit of a state of shock trying to come to terms with the incident of the pet chimpanzee attack in Connecticut last week. The attack has left a woman severely disfigured and profoundly traumatized. The pet chimpanzee Travis was shot dead by police. This incident prompted the U.S. House of Representatives to ban interstate trade of apes and monkeys. The new legislation cuts off easy access to apes which are sought for household companions.

Jane Goodall has spoken out on this tragedy tragedy and she says ” Travis’ case should serve as a potent reminder that chimps — no matter how human they may seem — are not cut out to be pets”. You can read the Jane Goodall’s full opinion piece and the sections Chimpanzees don’t make good pets and Chimpanzees in entertainment of her website.

So, do you agree with Goodall that the way chimps are portrayed in the public media is harmful to the species?

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) certainly do and have called on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to ban private ownership of exotic animals in California, citing the increasing popularity of keeping such animals as pets. The group said there have been more than 90 reported dangerous incidents nationwide involving primates since 1990.

Meanwhile in Europe politicians are fighting to give apes rights and ban their use in research and drugs testing but it’s not going smoothly. Slovenian liberal Mojca Drcar Murko, a leading European politician, says the drugs industry are guilty of excessive lobbying which she believes led politicians in parliament’s environment committee to throw out almost all her amendments aimed at further cutting the suffering of animals in laboratories. In protest, she voted against the committee’s conclusions.

The EU’s “Great Ape Debate” has already sparked controversy, with researchers arguing tests on primates are indispensible for finding cures for diseases including HIV, Alzheimer’s Disease, SARS, cancer, hepatitis and malaria.I have two more questions for you and would love to know what you think

1. Do you agree with PETA Should people be allowed to keep exotic pets? 

2. Should apes be used in research and drugs testing?