Here's a sad story with a happy ending. Three Hollywood chimpanzees that had been routinely beaten into performing will live out their days on an animal sanctuary far away from their former trainer Sid Yost. The chimps had appeared on That 70s Show, The Craig Kilborn Show and a litany of other TV series, films and commercials.The move to kinder, gentler pastures comes on the heels of a lawsuit that had been filed against Yost by the Animal League Defense Fund. Once the Animal League's allegations of cruel and unusual punishment were brought to light, Pam Anderson, Alec Baldwin and Bob Barker pledged never to appear on screen with chimpanzees again. (If they'd taken W.C. Fields' advice about kids and animals, they never would have in the first place.)
If this kind of stuff is happening today, when television sets are swarming with lawyers and Humane Society reps, imagine what the story was back in Bonzo and the Gipper's day. Actually, don't imagine it. We'll just hope that Bonzo and the cast of Lancelot Link are living it up somewhere in the Hollywood Hills with a martini in one opposable thumbless hand and a stogie in the other.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-09-2006 @ 11:52AM
TomB said...
"The chimps had appeared on That 70s Show, The Craig Kilborn Show and a litany of other TV series, films and commercials."
That's appalling!! I hate watching anything on TV that involves any animal appearing to be hurt - even if I know it's staged. I've always taken solice in the fact that the animal's treatment was monitored.
This story makes me sick. I hope the guy goes to prison.
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12-09-2006 @ 3:09PM
Lisa said...
It's a dirty little secret that the only way animals can be forced to perform is through the threat of physical violence. Hopefully this is the beginning of a trend that sees all such "trainers" finding new lines of work. More info about this case is at www.aldf.org.
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12-12-2006 @ 1:38AM
Pat Cuviello said...
Sadly the grinning chimp that we were all taught to laugh at is a grin of fear and stress. Anytime you see a company (like Career Builders), a TV show or a movie using chimps or other wild animals boycott that company and write or call and let them know why.
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1-18-2007 @ 8:20PM
4thechimps said...
You people know nothing.
There was only one woman's accusations, and ZERO proof.
Those chimps I have personally met, spent time with, and their owners and trainers, and NEVER even saw a chimp flinch or be afraid of anything.
Do some research, and NEVER believe anything that comes out of Baeckler's mouth.
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