Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Farewell Travis, We Hardly Knew Ye


This story has been bugging me all day. I’m not sure why either. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Travis is a chimpanzee, and met a rather un-chimp-like end. Or perhaps it was because I found out that Travis lived better than I do – he ate lobster, steak and ice cream after all. His obituary, for lack of a better term, stated that Travis could eat at a table, drink wine from a stemmed glass, use the toilet, and dress and bathe himself. Use the toilet - Whoa! - Better not let Mrs. Goldwater see that one, she’s bound to set the bar that much higher.

He also logged on to a computer to look at photos and channel-surfed television with a remote control. Now I know why I was so taken with Travis’ plight – we were soul brothers.

But seriously, are authorities really that baffled as to why Travis might suddenly snap and maul his handler’s friend nearly to death? He’s a 200 lb. feces-flinging, sweater wearing, hand mauling powder keg. Colleen McCann, primatologist at the Bronx Zoo said it best – “At the end of the day, they are not human and you can't always predict their behavior and how they or any other wild animal will respond when they feel threatened.” Indeed Ms. McCann. Perhaps at the end of the day, Travis remembered the evolutionary span that separated him from his human handlers.

That, or maybe he felt the stress of being laid off from his job at Old Navy.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Just watching the interview with the "mother" of Travis.

She fed him filet mignon and lobster tails? Stamford, Connecticutt? Betcha this idiot has a HOPE sticker on the SUV.

Put her in the same looney bin as the octumom.