By now, you’ve surely read about the tragic story of Travis the Chimp (a pet chimp, who had previously been used in the entertainment industry, and was recently shot and killed after brutally attacking his owner). And, you might be aware that his story isn’t all that unusual.
Trained chimps are charming and smart and funny … when they’re young. However, by the time they reach adulthood, they’re 200 pounds, stronger than two grown men put together, and, ultimately, still wild animals. They’re too powerful to risk using on movie sets any longer, so they live out their lives (which can last more than 40 years) in sanctuaries, zoos, or worse — as pets in private homes.
The Humane Society’s blog has a great piece discussing the ways in which this whole situation could have been avoided. For starters, a chimpanzee should never be kept as a pet; people should do the research and realize this, but the state of Connecticut (where Travis was kept) is responsible, too, for allowing a chimp to be legally kept as a pet.
There have been numerous opportunities for government at both the state and federal level to step in and regulate the exploitation of chimps (and other animals), but at each turn, they’ve failed to do so. And, since there are no laws keeping them from doing so, the entertainment industry will continue to use primates in movies and commercials for as long as people continue to watch the movies and buy the chimp-pimped products.
I know I’m always drawn to the TV when I see an animal — it’s just natural. And I know I always rationalized it because of the organizations that represent animals in film, protecting their rights. In fact, American Humane has been a presence in Hollywood since 1940 and are responsible for the “No Animals Were Harmed” end-credit disclaimer that you see on so many shows.
Marie Belew Wheatley, president and Chief Executive of American Humane, wrote on her blog:
The use of animals in filmed entertainment celebrates the roles of animals in our history, in our families and in our lives. They can help tell stories of the beauty of the human-animal bond, or the tragedy when that bond breaks. Animals play a starring role in many of our lives — it is only natural to feature them in films and TV shows.
In fact, American Humane gave out their own “Oscars” to celebrate films that featured animals and exhibited animal-friendly qualities, and gave awards to movies including Marley & Me and Appaloosa. And one of their chosen films, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, gave the lead dog role of Papi to a shelter dog who was a day away from being put to sleep — a number of the dogs in that movie were rescued from shelters, which is fairly common.
So, what can those of us who love animal movies, but also support animal rights, to do? For one thing, as hard is it might be to do, we need to stop supporting films and companies that use wild animals — the real-life stories behind the scenes rarely end as well as they do on screen. And speak up — if you’re boycotting something because of the company’s use of animal actors, let them know. Human voices are the key to making changes for animals.
Finally, see what you can do locally. I was really surprised to find that there is a monkey rescue where I live in Central Florida, and that it’s filled with primates who were adopted by people who gave them up when they grew older and more difficult to control. And it goes without saying — stick to puppies: Never adopt a chimp or exotic animal yourself!
