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Connecticut Votes To Ban Chimps As Pets

2009_06_travischimp.jpg Connecticut's General Assembly voted yesterday to ban chimpanzees, as well as other primates, as pets. This comes nearly three months after a Stamford woman was severely mauled by her friend's pet chimp—Charla Nash "lost her nose, lips, eyelids, hands and bone structure in her mid-face and suffered significant brain, eye and tissue injuries in the attack." The Hartford Courant reports, the "bill would add only gorillas, chimps and orangutans to the list of wild animals already prohibited under existing state law: lions, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, ocelots, bobcats and other big, wild cats — as well as wolves, coyotes and bears." An earlier version of the bill, which included animals like "baboons, kangaroos, wolverines, hyenas, elephants, hippos, alligators, crocodiles, rattlesnakes, cobras and pythons," was stalled because apparently ferrets are related to wolverines, causing concern among ferret owners. Last month, Nash's family said on the Today show that she will need at least two more years of hospital care.

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Comments [rss]

  • r1b2

    Wow, how many people are affected by this legislation? Only 2 or 3? F**k 'em.

  • r1b2

    Wow, how many people are affected by this legislation? Only 2 or 3? F**k 'em.

  • dwayno

    seriously. how would people like it if humans were pets?

  • NannyState

    I dunno, just ask "Chuckie" my pet Tennesseean.

  • dwayno

    seriously. how would people like it if humans were pets?

  • marcyd

    I can't believe this was legal all this time.

  • schadenfreudian mensch

    Lions? Tigers? Where are the bears?? Oh my!

  • Dude69

    I would suggest chimps and other Great Ape owners or potential owners, to push for an Inter-species domestic partner law through CT, since we know spouses ain't pets under the laws.

  • Rocknrope

    The Courant also reported that this new bill supercedes the previous Heston Amendment, that only banned "damn, dirty apes."

  • robingee

    Looks like rhinos are still OK! Good news for me and my pet, Mr. Hornswaggle!

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