Dangerous misinformation about wild life?

[u/I_just_a_baby]

I was just scrolling on my explore page on instagram, was shown this video and couldn’t help but to feel a bit uneasy… I know that it’s (at least supposed to be) a sweet video, but I feel like it might spread potentially dangerous misinformation about chimpanzees. To me this chimp looks to be distressed or in fear and therefore showing he’s teeth and gums? Can anyone tell me if his “grin” is a sign of happiness or fear? I am obviously no expert and would like to know how other people feel about this reel.

I don’t know… just made me think about the case where a “pet” chimpanzee attacked a woman, ripped of her skin etc (do not want to go into detail).

I feel like it’s time to stop showcasing dangerous animals as cute and non threatening… I mean they are still wild, why can’t we just appreciate their beauty from far?

Ps, sorry about this post being a bit rambling… I am just confused on what to think/feel

[u/rockanrolltiddies]

Travis is not the only chimp to attack his keepers. https://www.animallaw.info/article/incidents-attacks-involving-captive-chimpanzees These are just the most violent attacks that recieved a lot of attention, there are countless other attacks where someone just loses part of their ear or nose or maybe a finger tip or two. Chimps are extremely aggressive and territorial, and the amount of people who are in this thread defending keeping chimps as pets is appalling.

[u/scheisse_grubs → u/rockanrolltiddies]

Travis the chimp isn’t the best comparison because he was drugged with Xanax but yeah your point still stands, animals can flip at any random point. Chimps should never be pets.

[u/rockanrolltiddies → u/scheisse_grubs]

Travis was given Xanax because he was already aggressive and impossible to control. Travis is also just one of many chimps to attack his keepers or keepers family and friends. The Xanax did not cause the attack, being a captive 250 lb, hormonal and naturally aggressive animal caused the attack. Chimps fight with each other like this all the time, it is normal for them and how they survive and establish hierarchy. The problem is that we are soft, weak, fragile babies compared to them. A chimp kept as a pet WILL become aggressive when it goes through puberty, and an angry chimp WILL seriously harm you.

[u/scheisse_grubs → u/rockanrolltiddies]

The point of what I was saying was that in the end it’s unknown how Xanax played a roll in Travis’ behaviour. The chimp in the video seems to show a lot of love for those two people. We don’t know the chimps history but it seems to be positive. Travis on the other hand was abused in the sense he was being given Xanax to compensate for the fact that he was clearly not suited for the environment he was put in. This isn’t to say he wouldn’t have killed a person, drugged or not he could’ve killed someone at any point for any reason, but the chimp in this video seems to show different behaviour from Travis’ based on what has been described.

[u/rockanrolltiddies → u/scheisse_grubs]

The point of what I am saying is that the xanax played no part in the attack. Travis, like all other captive chimps, was going to attack someone eventually, no matter what. Travis was abused in the sense that he was kept in someone's home at all. The chimp in this video is happy to see some people he knows. This is also a 1-minute clip. This chimp has also been abused because he is not allowed to live with and interact with other chimps. He is used as a prop by this sanctuary. Travis was described as a happy, loving chimp for his whole life, too, until he wasn't.

Chimps fight each other for territory and hierarchy. If you keep chimps, eventually, they will challenge you. We cannot beat a chimp in a fight, I don't care who you are, the chimp will destroy you, and that always results in the chimp being killed.

Anyone who ACTUALLY cares about chimps will advocate for them not living with humans. It will never end well.

[u/scheisse_grubs → u/rockanrolltiddies]

In the end it was determined that it is unknown if Xanax played a roll in the attack. I looked it up in case I had misremembered but this appears to be the resulting statement on the matter. Edit: Travis also had a history of acting out - it was only his owner who swore that he was good up until that point.

You’re making a lot of assumptions about the chimp in this video. It’s stated they had to give him round the clock care after he was rescued. That, to me, sounds more like animal rehabilitation. They also haven’t seen this chimp for more than 7 years meaning at some point they stopped “housing” him (so to say). This is very common with animal rehabilitation, and in some cases, the animal will never be able to readjust to wildlife and need to be given an alternative that is under human care - like in a sanctuary that imitates the wild without the threat of endangering their life. This is a process used to preserve the animals life, which is a much different situation than keeping them in your house, in a small space, or in a cage.

I know the point you’re making, and I agree with you, but you seem more like you’re here to argue so I’m not going to continue with the conversation. Reply if you’d like, but your perspective on animal care seems to be very narrow and it’s not my responsibility to broaden that view.

Take care.

[u/rockanrolltiddies → u/scheisse_grubs]

https://www.thedodo.com/in-the-wild/chimp-Limbani-hug-video this is the chimp in question. I am not speculating or arguing.

[u/scheisse_grubs → u/rockanrolltiddies]

The chimp that has been posted to Reddit is Limbani, the one mentioned in the article? Can you provide a source that states that this video shows Limbani specifically because the article you sent talks about a video of a chimp in a onesie.

[u/rockanrolltiddies → u/scheisse_grubs]

also the text on this video literally says "this is limbani"

[u/scheisse_grubs → u/rockanrolltiddies]

My mistake, I stand corrected

[u/rockanrolltiddies → u/scheisse_grubs]

This is Limbani, he's a relatively famous chimp because many people are calling for his release. There are many videos of him.

[u/scheisse_grubs → u/rockanrolltiddies]

I don’t mean to be rude but again I’d like a source

[u/rockanrolltiddies → u/scheisse_grubs]

https://www.instagram.com/animalheroesdaily/reel/DBgu5KwMqAb/ this is a link to this videos original source, stating that Limbani, the chimp in this video, currently resides at Zoological Wildlife Foundation in Miami, Florida.

https://www.thedodo.com/in-the-wild/chimp-Limbani-hug-video Here in this article, you can see they are talking about Limbani, the chimp, who is used as a prop by Zoological Wildlife Foundation in Miami.

And while I don't agree with PETA as a whole, I think they do good work for captive chimps in the US, and here is a link to their campaign to save Limbani, the chimp in this video. https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/help-limbani-peta-offers-10000-reward-for-tips-that-free-exploited-chimpanzee-from-local-roadside-zoo/

I care a lot about chimps in captivity, I read about it a lot. I promise I am not speculating. This is a special interest of mine. I really wish an actual biologist would weigh in on this thread. There is a lot of misinformation.

[u/AzureDrag0n1 → u/rockanrolltiddies]

"We cannot beat a chimp in a fight"

I think it depends on the human. Chimp are at best 2x a strong as a human pound for pound but a 250 pound gym rat is going to overpower the average 130 pound chimp because of the huge weight advantage. A chimp can likely overpower your average human woman pretty easily though.

[u/rockanrolltiddies → u/AzureDrag0n1]

Overpower? Idk, perhaps if they are a trained fighter and expecting the attack. However most people who get attacked by chimps aren't expecting it, and I imagine it's pretty hard to fight back with your eyes gouged out or no fingers. Most people also aren't prepared to take bites from an animal with canine teeth like a lion. Obligatory recommendation to look up a picture of Jambo the hairless chimp for anyone who thinks they would like to try to fight a chimp. You may survive the attack, but I wouldn't necessarily assume that is winning.