Anjelica Huston Talks About Travis
After hearing about the death of Travis, the captive chimpanzee who was shot after mauling a woman in Connecticut, Oscar winner Anjelica Huston—who has long been an advocate for the compassionate treatment of great apes—issued the following statement:
I was saddened to hear about the incident involving the chimpanzee, Travis, and my heart goes out to the woman who is now lying in a hospital bed as a result of this horrific attack. Recently, I narrated a video for PETA about the abuse that chimpanzees and other great apes endure when they are ripped away from their mothers when only days old to be used in commercials (as Travis was) and movies. Although I was sick when I heard about this most recent incident, I wasn’t surprised. I sincerely hope that this tragedy will make people realize that great apes should never be kept as pets or exploited for films, television, or advertising. Their lives are miserable from the day that they are taken from their mothers: They endure abusive training—usually beatings—until they are cast off to roadside zoos or meet a violent end, as Travis did in this tragic case.
If you haven’t watched Anjelica’s video yet, you can view it here:
You can help prevent future tragedies like this one by urging Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell to ban the private ownership of chimpanzees.
Written by Alisa Mullins
