My Child is a...

[mindyluz]

Has anyone seen "My Child is a Monkey" on National Geographic Channel? If so what did you think? Any thoughts on how it relates to us as owners of wild birds? I think there are some big differences but also some disturbing similarities. Do you think the piece was fair? If you haven't seen it, I believe it airs again this Friday at 2pm.

[Jingles]

sorry, didn't see it...but sounds interesting!

[danmcq]

I would be interested to hear how you think there are some parallels.

 

Setting aside the fact that we humans do keep several different types of critters. The exception with us all is we have creatures that are basically wild, which the monkeys are as well. However, my thoughts on Mokeys, are the become VERY dangerous once reaching adulthood and cannot normally be kept with the family they grew up with and are then placed in a cage for the rest of lives.

 

An overiview of this show:

 

My Child is a Monkey

 

Americans have long had a love affair with their pets, and millions of Americans own cats and dogs. However, a growing segment of society is choosing exotic pets including primates. It is estimated that there are 15,000 primate owners in the U.S., and while these pets are highly intelligent, they can also be very dangerous, violently attacking their owners. The dangers of primate ownership is such a concern that a bill went before the Senate that would ban the sale of primates as pets.

• Capuchin monkeys are the most common breed of monkey owned in Europe and the US.
  
• Capuchin monkeys weigh only three to nine pounds, but they can jump up to nine feet! In the wild they use their long jumps to move from tree to tree.
  
• 84.2 percent of human DNA is identical to that of a capuchin Monkey.
  
• In an attempt to establish dominance, monkeys may attack their human family members.
  
• The U.S. Center for Disease Control banned the importation of monkeys for the pet trade in 1975.
  
• INTERPOL estimates that the illegal wildlife trade is a $five-billion-a-year business, second only to drugs as a worldwide black market.
  
• Capuchins are in fact one of only a few animals – and the only monkey – known to both manufacture and use tools in the wild; a trait that was once attributed solely to humans.
  
• Many viral diseases, such as hepatitis or herpes B, can be transmitted from animal to man.
  
• Baby monkeys are pulled from their mothers as early as three days old and given an inanimate object, such as a stuffed animal or blanket as a surrogate mother.
  

 

Read more: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/my-child-is-a-monkey-4703/facts#tab-facts#ixzz0wKA7IlNk

[Shades Of Grey]

I saw this documentary with my daughter. While she thought it was cute and entertaining, I was slightly disturbed by the situation. It is one thing to have dearly loved pets that do indeed become part of our families. The problem lies in the fact that some of these owners didn't seem to recognize that their pet was not a human. A couple of the owners came off as...whats the word..nutty as a fruit cake LOL. The one woman was truly offended when a restaurant wouldn't allow her monkey to dine with humans. She truly thought her pet was a human and should have human rights. The final straw was then they talked about how the poor monkey had had its teeth extracted so it couldn't bite. That would be like removing our parrot's beak. It was just sad how the whole thing was so over the top. I have seen the same people on talk shows with their "children" as well.

[JungleDreamz]

I agree totally...I dont think of my grey (or any of my pets for that matter) as human.

 

I feel there is a huge differance here. And honestly I feel sorry for the monkey's and chimps, But also for the people, Cuz there is obviously something wrong upstairs.

 

For those of you who did see it, What about the part where the monkey kept taking off her diaper (cuz monkeys were not made to have to wear diapers) And she said " Did you take your panties off?!" And then punished her by putting her in her "room" aka-cage...For the rest of the day or night or whatever. NOTE> I am NOT making fun of her or any of these people, Just quoting part of the show that I felt was just sad.