Poor Travis

On February 16th, Travis the Chimpanzee was shot in the head by police officers for atttacking a Stamford, Connecticut woman. Travis used to be in Old Navy and Coca Cola commercials, and his owner, Sandra Herold said that he was just as much a son to her as if she bore him herself.

Well, if he meant so much to you, Sandra Herold, why then, would you actually own a chimp in the first place?! Travis attacked a woman when he was 15 years old, the time at which chimps are becoming territorial, aggressive, and extremely protective of their female mates. Furthermore, Travis was given Xanax in his tea, a human medication in the benzodiazepine family given for severe anxiety and panic problems. Travis was also on an antibiotic being treated for Lyme’s disease, and benzodiazepines + antibiotics are not good; antibiotics intensify the effects of something like Xanax.

This lady obviously had no idea what she was doing, and now Travis was sacrificed because of her stupidity. You shouldn’t keep wild animals in your home period, even if you’ve hand raised them, they still have hardwiring for their behaviors associated with their own natural history. Yearly, exotic animals are put to death because people expect them to understand and comply with humans.

Humans need to understand that animals are different. I am in no way saying that it’s not possible for them to have a theory of mind (understanding another’s intentions), but the fact is is that we don’t know, we’ll never know, because we’re not animals, we can never really get into their heads. When we anthropormorphize, we get tragedies like Travis. Obviously his owner knew nothing of the chimp’s natural history and obviously she expected him to act just like a human, to understand her and have a theory of mind. Keep it simple people, there’s nothing wrong with that!

I fucking hate people.

Travis the Chimp

Sorrryyy…

So sorry I haven’t posted in FOREVER. I’ve been pretty busy, plus I really haven’t had much to talk about. But now I do!!

I went on a field trip to Plum Island on Saturday, the 21st and it was amazing. I didn’t feel good and almost didn’t go, but the opportunity to ride with John Kricher in his Rav4 in the front and talk to him for 1.5 hours there and back while probably seeing a snowy owl there was TOO GOOD for me to pass up.

We saw White Winged Crossbills which is huge. They are only here for the winter, then in the summer they quickly fly back up north. Their beak is literally crossed in the front so they can get into pine cones and grab the seeds out. They chitter chat even as they eat in the trees to make sure they know where each other are. They are very used to people being there, mostly because they don’t give a shit about people.

Crossbill, White winged, female

And of course, the beautiful snowy owl. I saw one, with my own two eyes, the most beautiful female in her alternate plumage already (mating plumage, not winter plumage). The female isn’t as all white as the male is but she is still some sight to behold. As you watch her she turns her head 180 degrees to watch out for food, a seagull dives around her to try to get her away, she spreads her wings only once and the seagull flaps away quickly. You see her slits for eyes once, the next minute they’re gone. She is like God on the tree branch, looking over you, making sure you’re safe, if you’re not you feel that she might swoop in and take care of you. Or eat you.

And yes, I do believe in God.

Owl, Snowy, female

Ornithology

So this semester I’m taking an Ornithology class, and it has made me more happy than I’ve felt all year so far, especially after last semester which was delivered to me hand wrapped by Satan himself. Besides having the most amazing, excellent, hilarious, and intelligent professor ever I have learned so much about animal behavior, evolution and behavior, and animals in their natural habitat. I was always more interested in mammals until I started really studying animal behavior in college where I realised birds really have so much to offer us. Many species of birds are incredibly intelligent, and if you’ve ever heard of Alex the African Grey parrot or of studies done using crows, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

I’m excited because we get to go out and do field studies with these birds. I have my very own binoculars and my little notebook that fits in my pocket. I know how to spish now. I can follow the little birds in the trees that flit from branch to branch better than I ever could before, or focus in on an owl having a lazy day (many owls do come out in the day, by the way!).

We all have to do a report on a specific bird as well, using the Audubon’s Birds of America and other good primary sources. If you are even slightly interested in birds or just want to know what was at your feeder the other day, I suggest using the site I’ve linked for you, or get the Peterson’s Guide to Birds by Roger Tory Peterson, one of the best ornithologists of his day. You can get it for like, $15 online. Anyway, we could only report on North American birds because then we could possibly have a chance to see them. And you didn’t get to pick, it was assigned to you randomly. I crossed my fingers not to get the Blue Jay (they’re so annoying, but dangerously smart!) and instead I got the Red-Bellied Woodpecker. How CUTE. Here’s a picture of one.

Woodpecker, Red-bellied, Male

Anyone know anything about these little birds? Let me know! Any good journals/publications/websites on them or even other birds you know about? Let me know about this too! Anything would be much appreciated. Or just leave comments about how you feel about birds! Like them? Don’t like them? Like to hunt them? Think some are annoying? Think some are breath taking? Share with me!! : )