April 03, 2009

Should Chimpanzees Be Pets?

Perhaps you've heard of the recent tragic episode whereby a woman was seriously injured by her friend's pet chimpanzee and the great ape itself, lost its life. This was not the only incident of its kind. Many chimpanzees are privately owned as pets and they can become aggressive, which is not considered unusual for an adult chimp. During this week's show, we'll talk about the possible reasons these incidents happen, and learn about the natural habits and characteristics of chimpanzees which are, after all, wild animals. We will also discuss the effects and consequences for Chimpanzees from their use in the media and the perception that's it's okay to keep them as pets. Did you know, for example that Chimpanzees are classified as an endangered species?

Episode Segments:

Chimpanzees in the media Susan welcomes Steve Ross of the Lincoln Park Zoo to the show. They examine the media depiction of chimpanzees. Also, Susan asks Steve about the implication of having a chimpanzee as a pet.
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The real story about chimpanzees Susan continues her discussion with Steve Ross of the Lincoln Park Zoo. They discuss Steve's article about "chimp culture."
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Chimpanzees in the wild Susan resumes her discussion with Steve Ross of The Lincoln Park Zoo. They examine whether Chimps should be left in the wild and whether they could be considered endangered. Also, they look more in-depth at they natural habitats.
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Links to Related Websites:

Look While You Listen! Visit the Wild About Pets official web site and view the pictures Susan and her guest(s) are discussing.

Visit The Official Site For The Lincoln Park Zoo One of the nation's oldest zoos housing 1200 animals representing 230 species. Includes children's zoo, carousel and paddle boats.

Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode

Steve Ross Steve Ross received his B.S. in zoology from the University of Guelph in his native Canada in 1993 and completed a master's from the University of Chicago in 2003. He has researched and published on a number of topics across of variety of taxa, including domestic pigs, free-ranging monkeys, wild dogs, lemurs, polar bears and small-clawed otters. Ross joined Lincoln Park Zoo in 2000 as a research specialist and coordinated the research study evaluating the former Lester E. Fisher Great Ape House in preparation for the building of the new ape facility. Results from this project played a major role in the design and development of the Regenstein Center for African Apes. Ross now coordinates the behavioral and cognitive programs of the zoo’s Lester E. Fisher Center for the Conservation of Apes and conducts research in cognitive psychology and applied animal behavior. He is also chair of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s Chimpanzee Species Survival Plan (SSP) which helps manage the population of 300 chimpanzees living in accredited zoos across North America.