A horror movie, Primate, came out in theaters a few weeks ago, telling the story of a pet chimpanzee that turns “rabid”.
1) The chimpanzee in the film is fully computer-generated imagery (CGI). That is a win!
2) Even though it is a fictional horror film, it is just another example of why primates should never be pets and it should be banned in all 50 states.
At the sanctuary, we often get asked about how much contact us caregivers have with the chimpanzees. We never ever enter their enclosures with them and we only have protected amounts of contact through the caging.
For example, we can interact with them through the mesh and allow them to groom the back of our hands or elbows. We can do this safely by not putting our hand or elbow against the caging but allowing the chimpanzee to fully extend their fingers to meet us. In this position, we can safely interact with the chimpanzees without the possibility of being grabbed.
This is just one example of safe interactions we have with the chimps. You may be asking, what is the need for such extreme safety?
Chimpanzee strength is the answer.
I have heard every number of the sun in the phrase, “chimps are 1-8x as strong as humans”, as it seems like every source states a different number. However, the takeaway is chimps are much stronger than humans, because of the different muscle mechanics. They can lift and throw things with ease, easily climb and hold up their entire body weight to swing on a firehose or brachiate through the trees or enclosures.
For example, the chimps often throw barrels and tubs in their displays. With ease, the item goes flying across the room, making a loud noise (which was the intended goal). I could also throw a barrel or tub if I wanted to, but 1) it wouldn’t go flying across the room the way they do it 2) I would have to lay down after with a heating pad. The human body isn’t built for such a task.
Here is an article I found if you want to read more about different fiber makeups between chimpanzees and humans! Here is a former blog post by J.B. about chimpanzee strength as well.
