Tag Archives: chimps

And I Thought Declawing Was Bad?

Once upon a time in our household, there was the question of whether or not to declaw Tabby. So far the “not to declaw” camp (a.k.a. mine) is winning. But once in a while (like lately when Tab’s paying a little too much attention to the carpet on the stairs) Wayne’s camp raises the issue again. However, Tab need not worry about me doing anything to her claws other than trimming them. (Something I haven’t done in a while and why her paying attention to the carpet is posing a problem.) The whole to declaw or not debate sprung to … Continue reading →

Monkeys Use Brain in New Ways

If you’ve watched the news lately, you might have seen the report where two monkeys controlled a robotic arm with their minds to feed themselves. (It didn’t take two monkeys to control one arm. Each monkey controlled its own robo-arm to feed itself pieces of marshmallow or fruit.) How You Get a Monkey to Control a Robotic Arm with It’s Mind As you might imagine, it was a complicated process. Using “visualization” techniques, the study’s leader, Andrew Schwartz, showed the monkeys what he wanted them to do. Then he “mapped” their neural activity to see what cells reacted in which … Continue reading →

How Do Monkeys Keep Their Nails Clipped?

Do they even have nails to keep clipped? These are the type of burning questions that keep me up at night. (Okay, they don’t keep me up at night. But I was thinking about it before I drifted off last night.) So I did some cursory Internet searching today and found that apes and most monkeys do in fact have nails, but some have claws. I could not find any mention of how they keep them trimmed. While clever, I’m fairly certain no ape or monkey colony has come up with a nail salon out in the wild. But if … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for May 14-20

I flew solo again for part of the week until Thursday. Then Aimee came back with, among other things, tales of her adventures with Lally and Moose during their cross country trip to their new home. Here’s what other topics were addressed in the Pets Blog: Monday, May 14 Um, everyone needs one day off, right? Tuesday, May 15 Tabby, Tabby, Tabby. It was all about Tabby. First, an account of how even the best vets goof, then about her “disturbing” new behavior. Wednesday, May 16 I’ve really been into themed days lately, so when I found one about Sea-Monkeys, … Continue reading →

Bringing Up Ziggy: Conclusion

Andrea Campbell with Ziggy, photo courtesy of Ms. Campbell and used with her permission In Part One of my interview with Andrea Campbell, we talked about how it was she came to be a foster monkey-mom to Ziggy, a capuchin monkey. In Part Two she dished about monkeys in the home. We conclude the series with Ms. Campbell answering questions about all the ways Ziggy impacted her life. Courtney Mroch: What was your biggest trial with Ziggy? Andrea Campbell: “Biggest trial” I keep saying to myself. Hmmm . . . there are so many to choose from. Okay, give me … Continue reading →

Bringing Up Ziggy: Part Two

Andrea Campbell with Ziggy, photo courtesy of Ms. Campbell and used with her permission In Part One of my interview with Andrea Campbell, we talked about how it was she came to be a foster monkey-mom to Ziggy, a capuchin monkey. We continue our interview with Ms. Campbell dishing the dirt on what it’s really like to have a monkey in the home: Courtney Mroch: What recommendations/advice would you give to someone who might be interested in bringing a monkey into their home? Andrea Campbell: Do they have a couple days time to listen? I’d say, “Don’t.” Don’t get a … Continue reading →

Interview with Foster Monkey-Mom Andrea Campbell, Author of Bringing Up Ziggy: Part One

Andrea Campbell with Ziggy, photo courtesy of Ms. Campbell and used with her permission. In August of this year, I attended a writing seminar in Nashville, Tennessee, where I mingled with many fabulous authors, but one woman in particular stood out. Her name was Andrea Campbell, and, among other things, she’d written a book called Bringing Up Ziggy: What Raising a Helping Hands Monkey Taught Me About Love, Commitment, and Sacrifice. Her book recounts her experiences foster parenting Ziggy, a capuchin monkey, who ultimately was destined to live elsewhere. (With a quadriplegic who needed her.) I recently contacted Ms. Campbell … Continue reading →

Celebrity Chimps Headed For Early Retirement

Retirement is supposed to be a happy time. You slave away for decades and spend your golden years basking in the glow of your achievements… that’s the way it’s supposed to work, right? Well, for two chimpanzees that appeared in numerous Hollywood movies and TV shows retirement is coming earlier than expected and is not without controversy. According to news reports, the chimps were removed from a ranch and will retire to a sanctuary to settle a lawsuit alleging animal cruelty. (Not exactly the way you want to end an illustrious career.) A representative from the Animal Legal defense Fund … Continue reading →