Endangered Species Day - Chimpanzee Exotic Pet Trade

Endangered Species Day was last Friday, May 15, 2015.  

I love all Animals, and so many I have come to know have special places in my Heart.   I have always loved Chimpanzees and my Zoo Friends are very dear to me. Many know I have crusaded for them recently and so I choose them for this post.

You can learn more about my crusade on my blog  http://savesfzoochimps.blogspot.com/
or Facebook Group  https://www.facebook.com/groups/811415025597052/

You can read more about the Endangered status of Chimpanzees here:

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/chimpanzee

As a child of the 60s, it wasn't considered taboo, nor was it illegal to have or want a Pet Primate. Today, there are still Humans who want them as Pets, the only difference is, in the past Fifty years, many of us have learned why Primates, especially Chimpanzees, and other Wild Animals, not only do not make good Pets, but should not be anything but Wild.  

For my 3rd Birthday,  we had a Clown who owned different species of small Monkeys.  I remember my Mother and I went to her apartment, and the Monkeys were wearing diapers and jumping all over the place. When they came to my party, they were dressed in different outfits, ranging from a Tarzan suit to a three piece suit.  ... A friend of my Uncle's had a Squirrel Monkey that visited our house and swung on the chandelier!

I also remember my Dad asking me if I wanted a Chimp. My Mother veto'd the idea, but it certainly was in the realm of possibility. ...  I recently found out that a guy in our neighborhood had one.

So, Primates were a common Pet when I was a Child.  Just as common, was the presence of Chimpanzee's in Entertainment.  

One of my favorite shows growing up was Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp.   It aired in 1970-1972 .   It was all things wonderful of the time.  Talking Chimps, bright and groovy Fashion, and Music. Awesome!  I thought about this show often and then while on vacation in 1987, sitting in a hotel room in Ft. Lauderdale (on the way to Disney World), I turned on the TV and there it was! My boyfriend at the time probably wasn't keen on spending the rest of the evening watching a marathon of Chimp TV, but there was no way I was passing this up!

imdb.com Screen-Cap

Many years ago, when I was learning about the San Francisco Zoo Chimps, I was told that our Cobby had his own TV show in the 60s.   I tried to research it online a few different times over the years and only a couple years ago did I find one mention of it, but even that mention didn't yield much information.

Over a year ago, I was contacted by a fan of Cobby's show! Cobby's Hobbies (American made) aired in her native Australia, when she was a Child.  Now, a filmmaker, and having found Cobby, she set out to make a Documentary on his life.  

The research journey has formed the Film into a circle of life for Chimps in the Exotic Pet Trade. Little did we know as Children that Chimps like Cobby and Tonga the Chimp who played Lancelot Link, were taken from their Mothers in the Wild and used for Entertainment, Research, and as Pets. Some fared better than others.  This Film will show the plight of these Animals who we share the closest DNA match to.  A tragic situation that still goes on today.

While helping with research, I thought it would be a great idea to include "Lancelot Link" as he was to American Children, what Cobby was to Australian Children.   I found Tonga, now named Charlie Chuckles living at Wildlife Waystation Sanctuary in Southern California. A wonderful place, they were gracious to not only be interviewed, but allow the Filmmakers to come and meet Charlie for the Film.  I am very excited and happy that he is a part of this project!

Charlie Chuckles aka"Lancelot Link"

Photo Courtesy of Alyson Rousseau

Wildlife Waystation Sanctuary  Thank you!

The Film is pushing to a finish line and needs some help. Please visit, like and share both the Film Facebook Page and their CrowdFunding site. ...  Let's see our Friends Cobby and Charlie on the Big Screen, and help educate People with the Message this Film will put forth.

Cobby the Chimp Film Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cobby-the-Chimp/604623722909981

Pozible CrowdFunding Campaign for Film,  Cobby:The Dark Side of Cute

http://www.pozible.com/project/195120

pozible.com Screen-Cap

Chimp Updates

From my Save San Francisco Zoo Chimps blog:

I've been posting exclusively to this blog, here is a post list in case you haven't been following.  For the time being I will continue to concentrate on the Chimpanzee situation, so a majority of my blogging will be on that blog.  Thank you.

San Francisco Zoo Chimpanzee's Ask Santa for New Play Area

Santa hasn't arrived at the Zoo yet, but has a mailbox set-up at the Zoo's Lemur Cafe, where Visitors can leave their letters for him.  So, yesterday my Friend Lee and I took the opportunity to ask Santa for some things on behalf of our much loved Chimp Friends, Cobby, Maggie and Minnie.  

My internet has been down, so I haven't been able to post for a few weeks now, but I've been writing posts and hope to have them posted by the weekend.  One post is about my Chimp Friends.  Its long overdue and over a year in the making.  I love these Chimps and every week I see them and want more for them. 

I'm going to keep this post short, so please check back and read the longer one.  For now, a little info on the Trio and why they need Santa's help!  

The Triple grotto where the Chimps live has been their home since they arrived.  Cobby in 1968, Maggie and Minnie in 1970.  Both Girls were taken from the wild as infants and brought to the Zoo at less than a year old.  At 45 years old, this is the only home they've known.  Cobby came to the Zoo at the age of ten, after being surrendered by the person who owned him (after obtaining him as a wild born infant) and used him in Entertainment.  This has been his home for 46 years.

Information that I've found shows the cement surface of the Triple Grotto was landscaped and the current structures built in the mid-80s.  There have been no upgrades since.  The structure in the third grotto was taken down a few years ago due to a safety issue.  A huge tree trunk was added.  Their access to the third grotto seems inconsistent.  So, their daily "active" (both accessible and for movement) outside area consists of two "island" surfaces and two near 30 year old structures.  One made of metal that has peeling and rusting paint.

The Chimps home needs some work.  In 1997 a City Bond was voted in, that gave money for a new exhibit, (The Great Ape Forest), that never materialized and the money misappropriated.  Now with their age, doing work that would displace them to another part of the Zoo or cause them stress from the noise, really isn't an option in my opinion.  BUT that doesn't mean there aren't things that can be done to their living area that wouldn't bother them too much in the process.

So, since the Zoo has failed to give them much in the way of upgrades and other stimulating items and activities that would Enrich their lives, we turned to Santa during this time of giving.

Please read my next Chimp post for more information, thoughts and suggestions about this plea.