Kinship Circle | Letter Campaigns

2/23/09: Wired To Be Wild - Primates Aren't Pets

SOURCE OF INFORMATION / BACKGROUND

UPDATE: 2/24/09, U.S. House Passes Primate "Pet" Bill
SOURCE: 2/24/09 — House okays Captive Primate Safety Act after chimp attack

On 2/23/09, Kinship Circle issues an alert, "Wired To Be Wild" asking Reps to cosponsor H.R. 80 and Senators to introduce companion legislation. We also blog about Travis, the "pet" chimp shot dead on 2/16/09 after attacking his guardian's friend in Stamford, CT. The U.S. House of Representative approves the Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 80) with a majority vote of 323-95 (wow)! Perhaps Travis' light in heaven shows Reps the dire need for a ban on the import/export and interstate traffic in primates as "pets." In any case, the House moves fast!

• Chimpanzee Attack Revives Calls for Federal Primate Law
• Support the Captive Primate Safety Act

LT PHOTO: Chimps like this little guy are wild animals who naturally mature with aggressive tendencies. RT PHOTO: This is Travis the chimp. He was knifed, beaten, shot and killed after attacking a visitor at the home where he lived as a "pet." MyFOX NY

CONTACT INFORMATION + SAMPLE LETTER

CONTACT INFORMATION • Print/Send This Letter

To identify your federal legislators and find contact info, try:
• Congress.org: http://www.Congress.org
• Project VoteSmart: http://www.vote-smart.org/
• USA House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov
• USA Senate: www.senate.gov
• HSUS - Find elected officials: https://community.hsus.org/humane/leg-lookup/search.html
• Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121

The Honorable Representative [YOUR REP'S NAME HERE]
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Senators [YOUR SENATORS' NAMES HERE]
The U.S. Senate, U.S. Capitol Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

*Kinship Circle cannot guarantee validity of email addresses. During campaigns, recipients may change or disable their email addresses. Emails from government, corporate, or institute websites may be incorrect.

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SAMPLE LETTER • Print/Send This Letter

Dear Representative and Senators:

I am very happy the House of Representatives passed the Captive Primate Safety Act (H.R. 80) with a majority vote of 323-95. Perhaps the widely publicized chimp attack in Stamford, Connecticut influenced this swift decision to ban interstate and foreign traffic in primates as “pets.”

I now strongly urge my Senators to cosponsor and support similar legislation to debilitate the primate “pet” trade.

Headlines nationwide focused on Travis the chimpanzee's vicious attack on Charla Nash, a friend visiting Sandra Herold's Stamford, CT home on February 16, 2009. As Nash exited her car, Herold's "pet" chimp Travis, 15, tore the woman's face. Nash lost a lot of blood and may be permanently disfigured.

To save her friend's life, Herold stabbed Travis repeatedly and beat him with a shovel. Officers at the scene finished the 200-pound chimp off with a gun. Once shot, Travis retreated to the only place he knew — a human place with toys and blankets. Bewildered and bleeding, he awaited his next command. But no voice came and Travis died.

The most predictable thing about Travis was his unpredictability. Like all nonhuman primates, Travis was a creature of the jungle. Not a TV celebrity. Not someone's child. Travis was programmed to vie for leadership in his pack as he matured. He was wired to act aggressively in the wild.

An estimated 15,000 primates live in private settings in the U.S. State laws are sketchy — some ban all exotics; others permit primates. The thriving traffic in monkeys and apes poses a public health risk as well, since primates can transmit Herpes B virus, yellow fever, and monkeypox,

Baby primates can grow into belligerent, even hostile, “pets.” Some caretakers cage, drug and/or defang them. Others dump primates at roadside zoos or sell them to breeders. Since accredited zoos refuse them and most respectable sanctuaries are full, few options exist for these former "pets."

I thank the House for its quick action. I now ask my Senators to do everything possible to pass the Captive Primate Safety Act this year.

Thank you,

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KINSHIP CIRCLE'S BLOG: kinshipcircle.wordpress.com • Print/Send This Letter

2/22/09: Wired To Be Wild
Follow Kinship Circle's Blog: kinshipcircle.wordpress.com

Travis once worked in show biz, commercials mostly — Old Navy, Coca Cola, even a guest spot on the "Maury Povich Show." But when Travis outgrew his ah-how-cute image, the 200-pound chimpanzee moved in as Sandra Herold's "pet" in her Stamford, Connecticut home.

On February 16, 2009, a visitor rubbed Travis the wrong way. Who's to say why Travis felt threatened? As Charla Nash, 55, exited her car, the 15-year-old chimp tore open her face, spilling blood in pools. Herold dashed inside to phone 911. She returned with a butcher knife and stabbed her pet repeatedly. Herold, 70, beat the animal with a shovel too. She thought: "I must save my friend. I'm killing Travis."

But Travis managed to stagger away. Soon, officers showed up and secured an area for medics to stabilize the gravely wounded Nash. Travis was confused. Though mutilated, he followed officers to their cars. Travis, trained to open doors, easily entered a cruiser and cornered a surprised policeman. Shots were fired into Travis. The chimp fled.

Stamford police Lt. Richard Conklin claims officers followed Travis' blood splatters down a driveway, past the home's door and rooms, and finally, to his living area. Travis retreated to the only place he knew — a human place with toys and blankets. Bewildered, he awaited his next command. But no voice came and Travis died.

Travis grew up like a child. He enjoyed truck rides and could open nearly any door. According to the Herolds, Travis was potty-trained. He dressed himself, dined at the family table and even sipped wine. Why did he short-circuit that day?

CNN was stumped. The press scratched its head. Experts vied for explanations.

Here's a thought: The most predictable thing about Travis was his unpredictability. Even if he could log on to a computer to view photos of himself (he could) Travis was a creature of the jungle. Not a TV celebrity. Not someone's beloved child. Travis was programmed to subdue female chimps and progress toward the head of his pack in the wild.

There is no way around it: Cuddly evolves to belligerent, even hostile, as primates mature. Sometimes caretakers confine unruly pets in dingy cages or drug and defang them. Others dump primates at roadside zoos or sell them to breeders. Since accredited zoos refuse them and most respectable sanctuaries are full, few options exist for these former "pets."

Still, an estimated 15,000 primates live in private settings in the U.S. State laws are sketchy — some ban all exotics; others permit primates. A thriving traffic in monkeys and apes poses a public health risk as well, since primates can transmit diseases such as Herpes B virus, yellow fever, and monkeypox,

Travis craved social bonds within a chimpanzee community. This is no one's fault. He was just wired to be a chimp, not a human kid.

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