Chimps Shot Dead After Attacking Visitors At California Sanctuary

WFTV ^ | 3/4/05

[null and void]

Just thinking of your old tag line. It always brought a smile to my lips.

(no)

[Ichneumon]

I've heard that humans are different, pound for pound our muscles are 1/10 as strong as any other mammals. Has anyone else hear this? I haven't been able to find a source.

I'm not sure it's because "our muscles" aren't as strong, but it's true that overall we're not nearly as strong as other primates our size. A 200-pound chimpanzee is *far* stronger than a 200-pound human. Part of it is that the chimp's muscles attach farther from the joints than ours do, making for more muscle leverage.

I can't find a reference to it at the moment, but I once read of a zoo that had a bar in their chimp cage attached to a spring scale, to measure the chimp's strength. One day one of the chimps got especially ticked off and with one hand yanked the handle to a pull of nearly 1000 pounds.

[RushCrush]

Domestic bobcat mix ping! Meet Bob :)

[cyncooper]

I can feel horrified and sorry for this misguided couple and at the same time not deliberatly ignore facts.

The animal they were visiting had in fact been involved in harming a human before. They were not ignorant of the nature of chimpanzees but chose to ignore it. They had wanted to bring back to their home the pet they had been forced to give up. If they had somehow had this animal in their home it could have escaped and harmed or killed other people.

I feel badly for them, but I think they were more than very foolish and evidently had little regard for the welfare of people over animals.

[Fiddlstix]

When Chimps go bad............
(Film at 11)

[null and void]

Heinlein made reference to this strength in Waldo.

A couple years ago at one of Rolf Anderson's Bay Area MEMS Journal Club meetings I heard with mine own ears a researcher discuss using MEMS strain gages to measure the strength of individual muscle fibers. He made the 1/10 as strong comment as if it was an "everybody knows" fact.

No one challenged it, and there were a few knowing nods among the other biotech types in attendance.

[lonevoice]

Holy smokes. The chimpanzee ripped off the guy's foot, nose and testicles. I was aware chimps are violent, but I had no idea.

[vetvetdoug]

While in the USAF I saw a chimp eat up two vet techs and beat up several of us trying to subdue him. I wished I had a pistol that day.

[keat]

I can only imagine what will happen in California.

My prediction: One of the escaped primates will make a surprisingly effective run at governor next year.

[Antoninus]

I guess they are practically human after all...

[Darksheare]

Bob, cool kitty!
I have to scan the pic of Mimi.
Gotta fight with the scanner, gotta gotta gotta..

[Antoninus]

As has been said before, it's the males that are the problem, and usually only with male humans. They will rip your reproductive organs off, as they did with this numbnuts who brought a birthday cake to a dangerous wild beast.

One wonders if this is what happened to Michael Jackson (nose and testicles ripped off)...

If this is common chimp behavior, it wouldn't surprise me in the least. Wasn't there an article yesterday about Bubbles being vicious?

[Sender]

...as they did with this numbnuts who brought a birthday cake to a dangerous wild beast

I think the correct translation is: ...as they did with this no-nuts who brought a birthday cake to a dangerous wild beast.

[norton]

not ignoring facts, I've seen people 'free' a domesticated fox thinking it was the right thing to do and I'm terrified of my neighbor's dog (that grovels to the neighbor and no one else). I absolutely think it is foolish to keep a chimp at home but I can also understand checking in on him after relocating him (I still check up on dogs & cats I've rescued regardless of their breed).

I'm only stating that the guy deserves a bit more empathy because he's seriously hurt and because regardless of his prior actions (keeping a chimp) he was harmed by totally different animals with which he had no involvement.
Note that I did NOT say 'his intentions were good' although I'm sure they were - that's not a defense.

THAT said, I'd be pretty upset if someone tried to shut down the refuge because of this. Stuff happens when you mix people and animals and, other than simply offing every ugly or hungry critter we see, someone has to take care of the furry jetsam the rest of us create.

[norton]

OK, I might buy into the Jocko theory.

[Yaelle]

I haven't read all the replies in the thread, but the radio just said that the chimps bit off his nose, face, and TESTICLES. Yikes.

[BBell]

>>Monkeys are funny<<

Why did I laugh when I read that?

[RightWingAtheist]

Years ago, on the set of a Tarzan movie, the actor playing the title role (Denny Miller?) had his chin practically ripped off by the lead chimp, who tore at his face with a single bite. The actor successfully sued the producers and studios for negligence and unsafe working conditions

[null and void]

They fight dirty...

[cajungirl]

I thought about that too but didn't think anyone remembered! You know that tagline was an accident, I don't know how I did it but it was before I knew how to do a tagline. But it aroused all kinds of interest, maybe I will return to it. People saw it as a metaphor for, well, something.