When Animals Run Amok......

I was very sad when I read about the celebrity chimpanzee who mauled his owner's friend. Travis, the 15 year old chimpanzee, was finally shot dead by police officers. I could imagine the pain the owner, Ms. Sandra Herold, must have felt when she stabbed her pet with a large butcher knife, in an attempt to save her friend, Charla Nash from the attacks of the chimpanzee.

Unlike human beings, animals are unable to express their emotion. However, they have feelings too like homo sapiens. Animals can be prone to jealousy, stress, anger, frustration, etc. Perhaps Travis was jealous of Charla Nash, because we are told that he lunged at her the moment she got out of her car. Perhaps Ms. Nash had visited his owner too often and the chimpanzee felt insecure and jealous.

I am reminded of a story which my second sister had related to me. At the Melbourne Zoo, visitors were excited when a little baby gorilla was born. The children were creating a din and the mother gorilla was not too happy. She stared at the visitors for a while and my sister noticed that it gradually bent her knees, and put her hands behind, collecting her poo!

"Run!", sister screamed, and her children ran with her and so did a few other visitors. The gorilla threw her poo and some unsuspecting visitors were hit, with one man being hit with poor all over his face! The little impact had even cracked one of his glasses.

After that, the Zoo officials had a sign, "Please do not scream or talk loudly when you are before the gorillas."

If human beings can run amok, why should anyone be surprised when a chimpanzee or any other animals suddenly turn violent and wild.

I am only an animal lover. I am not an authority on animals, but I feel that animals except for domesticated ones like dogs and cats, should be better off in the wild. It is of paramount importance that those in the likes of Ms. Sandra Herold, should fully understand the animals they intend to keep as pets. Animals will not understand the extent of their violence and destruction when they are overwhelmed by feelings of jealousy, frustration and insecurity.

Gan Chau