If anyone else has a pet in our class, I'm sure they can understand where I'm coming from when I say that this article is completely and utterly skewed to make the reader think that Sandra Herold had an odd and disgustingly intimate relationship with her chimpanzee, Travis. No matter that this woman might've had a few screws loose, that doesn't give the "New York Post" or any other newspaper (i.e. "The Stamford Advocate") any right to scrutinize the relationship. I am relatively certain that most people who have a pet dog can say most of the same things that Herold said about her chimp. Let's go through the list:
1. Fed him high quality foods
--I can't tell how many times my family and I have given leftover steak or any other food to our dog after our meal was finished
2. Shared glasses of wine
--Okay, well that's one thing that is weird, but chimps are one of human's closest relatives, so it's not that out of the ordinary
3. Bathed and slept together
--We bring our dog to have a bath once every five weeks, but sometimes he gets ridiculously dirty between those weeks, so I bring him in the bath and clean him up. As for sleeping, I invite my dog onto my bed or couch daily
4. He tenderly brushed her hair
--Again, the chimp is very close to being human, there just aren't many animals in the world capable of doing that
5. She gave him gifts and sweet kisses
--My family and I give our dog treats all the time, and sometimes, yes, even kiss him
Some sources are even criticizing how protective the chimp was over Herold when he attacked her friend. When a dog sees someone that he does not recognize, does he not bark and seemingly go a little crazy?
So besides all of the odd circumstances of what happened over the week, can't people just put this idea of an overly intimate relationship to rest? This is irresponsible journalism at its height.
Craig T
You give Toby sweet kisses? Grimey.
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