No, this is NOT about my HUSBAND Travis...although he can be a bit "chimp-like" at times.....
This is about the teenage Chimp, named Travis (ironic), that was recently killed by the police for mauling a friend of his Human Mommy.
From what I understand, Travis was not "just" a pet, he was this woman's son. She taught him to dress himself. He could use the bathroom on his own. Ate fine foods at the table. Drank his wine from a long-stemmed glass. Surfed the Web (for what....ummm...not sure, but hey, why not?).
I started writing this post right after the whole bit was in the news. For some reason, if felt to soon for me, like I needed to let it all "settle" in my mind.
Now, the "odd" parts of this woman's relationship with Travis, her chimp-son. They cuddled to gether and slept in the same bed.
Now, I gotta be honest, 2 of our dogs and one of our cats sleep in our bad every night. I actually sleep BETTER with them there. So, to ME, this sleeping with a monkey in your bed doesn't seem that weird. Whatever.
She apparently bathed with him.
Okay, THIS I do find a bit,,,wierd. I mean, when I bathe my dogs I DO get a bath in the process....but...not the same thing. I dunno....jury is still out on that, I guess.
I won't belabor the details, I'm sure most of you heard ENOUGH of it already.
Basically, Travis freaked out for some unknown reason and attacked a friend of his mommy's. Someone he apparently knew and otherwise liked.
The police had to be called, and Travis was shot dead.
Now, I don't know about you, but if one of my dogs attacked someone, and I couldn't stop them, and had to watch the police gun down MY baby......it would not be a good thing.
This is just ME, mind you, but I can tell you right now, it's something I would NEVER get over. That image would haunt me for the rest of my life. Every. Single. Day.
I don't think there's enough drugs in the WORLD that would help get me over THAT situation.
It really made me angry, the jokes at the woman's expense.
At Travis' expense.
I don't care how odd/freaky the relationship was, the poor old widow (she was in her 70's) just watched her son, her baby, her LIFE gunned down in front of her!!!!!!!!
Cripes! Do people have NO compassion for ANYTHING they don't understand?
I'm not going to get into the debate over whether or not apes should be kept as pets, wild animals in the home, ect.
I'm no expert on that, so I just can't go there.
Regardless, she loved Travis. He loved her. It appears she took good care of him. She watched him die, violently. Just leave the poor woman alone.
She's suffered enough, don't you think?