So I got a surprise comment left on a previous entry, Things to do in Plano, from none other than the brother of the monkey guy himself.
Believe me, you've missed most of the story on this one. For the whole truth, and to see why you've all been suckered into taking part in character assassination of a really nice man, go check out www.savedarwin.com.
In the interest of fairness, you can go check out the rest of the story. I will say that as I read what's on the site, I honestly think there are a lot of holes in the story, but you can judge for yourself.
(Perhaps this might be a good time to read up on why having a pet monkey is a phenomenally bad idea. I haven't read the whole site, so I don't know if it addresses something I've always heard, that little tiny boy monkeys will jump up on your shoulder and have sex with your ear. Maybe that's best left a mystery.)
So here you go. Let it never be said that I don't provide both sides of the story. Or that I'm not here to meet all your scandalous monkey love needs. You're welcome.
The site makes a very convincing argument AGAINST getting a monkey as a pet (and has some extremely graphic pix), which seems fairly obvious to me. I think you have to be somewhat of an attention whore to consider getting or to get a wild animal as a pet. How irresponsible.
ReplyDeleteFrom savedarwin.com: "Have you ever loved a pet so much that you researched and studied it’s health and care to the point that, upon speaking to a vet for advice on an illness, the vet replied, 'I don’t think I can’t help you… you clearly know far more about this animal than I do.'"
ReplyDelete(ignoring the double negative)
Why didn't he bother to research whether or not he was allowed to own the animal in the first place? Would have saved him all of this supposed trouble.
Also, are we sure that this guy is really his brother? He might just be some dude who started a website to accept donations. This idea was planted in my head when I read on the same site:
"He would never ask a loved one for financial help, much less a stranger. So I’m asking on his behalf. Someday he will probably discover this site, and I expect that he will be terrified and angry to discover what I’ve done."
Well, maybe I'm old and cynical, but savedarwin.com seems fishy to me too. While I read "mom's" comment, I imagined him wearing "mother's" clothes (a la Anthony Perkins in Psycho) while he typed it.
ReplyDeleteBest statistic ever:
ReplyDelete"It is estimated that for every reported monkey bite, at least ten bites go unreported."
Dude. It's okay to love your pets. It's just not okay to LOVE your pets.
ReplyDeleteI worked with squirrel monkeys ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squirrel_monkey ) in college on a daily basis for 2 years. Working with primates on a daily basis, even that tiny, was an eye-opening experience to the remarkable intelligence of a 3lb animal with the head smaller than a whiffle ball.
ReplyDeleteThey were clearly thinking creatures capable of affection and an endless source of amazement.
I miss them very much.
That being said. There is no way that I would ever want a monkey in my home, nor would I want to see a monkey in anyone else's home. I was one of the lucky few caretakers and researchers who did not receive a bite from the notorious male monkey. They required more maintenance than your neediest cat or dog, and could get in infintely more trouble in a matter of seconds.
People tend to lament laws that are in place for good reason. Humans are the only primates that inhabit the continental US. Without laws against having wild animals, humane societies would overflow with "cute" wild (and often endangered) animals that are best seen on National Geographic. There are not enough rescues http://www.savethechimps.org/news/popup_penthouses.asp to address the overflow of chimpanzees abused by Hollywood, let alone the countless animals that would be purchased by well-intentioned adults.
Darwin's owner is clearly a dude with a bit of time on his hands...are they telling us that before acquiring this animal he never Googled?
ReplyDeleteWith his knowledge of monkey veterinary science, surely he knows that macaque monkeys often carry Herpes B, which causes cold sores in monkeys, but is fatal in humans who contract it from their bites and scratches...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpes_B_Virus
The only this worse than the herp.... is monkey herp!
I have known 2 people in my life that own monkeys. I have never met either pet. The first was was a girl in my middle school. She was always coming to school with scratches on her arms and legs. The second is a girl I am friends with now. Her grandmother has owned it for 13 years. My friend says it's like having an intelligent 2 year old with impulse control problems.
ReplyDeleteThey are legal here, but you have to have a license AND you have to have back-up guardians who also have a license in case something should happen to you. My friend and her mom both have licenses in case anything happen to grandma. The monkey has it's own bedroom at home AND at their work (friend and grandma work there, mom works somewhere else) which the grandparents own.