Return to Liberia V: Balu of Thinker's Village, Liberia

Balu is a wonderful Liberian chimpanzee, representative of yet another one of Liberia's great natural resources. Balu was our friend for the day at beautiful Thinker's Village Liberia.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• chimpanzee
• Liberia
• Return to Liberia
• Thinker's Village
• Ce Ce Beach
• monkey
• Africa
• Civil War
• Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
• tropical
• tropics
• beach
• sunset

[aliveinsd]

Jdram, you should read a few books on primates. "Through A Window," "Bonobos, The Forgotten Ape," "Nim Chimpsky." Bookishfilly is better informed. Infant chimps are cute, but after age 3, they become difficult (serious injuries, destruction of property) and then, by age 5-8-years, they become the second most dangerous animal on the planet. We Humans being the most dangerous. They are then only for locking up in a cage; too late to release them to the wild.

[jdram0731]

Apparently you failed to read the part below where I said "I agree" with bookishfilly. An important sign of an informed argument is the the ability to concede a point when one is made-just as I did. Having lived in Africa and observed primates and human interaction with them firsthand, I don't think your reading list will add to my base of knowledge. A fallacy of logic is an ad hominem attack-like you just did. Read "The Informed Argument" by Robert Keith Miller before launching such attacks.

[bookishfilly]

The fact is that while this baby may be well fed and cute it belongs with its own kind. It won't be considered so cute when it's old and strong enough enough to rip a man's arm off. Then it will be locked up in a cage for doing what wild animals do. THEY ARE NOT PETS!!!

[jdram0731]

Not entirely true-this little chimp is someone's pet. In Africa, like many other parts of the world, tribal groups hunt primates and then take the offspring in as members of the family. The domestication of primates is nothing new. You and I may not agree with this practice, but then again, we do not live under the same circumstances as they do. Dogs are pets in America and in other places, dinner. It's the way of the world I guess.

[bookishfilly]

I understand that it is the way of the world and if Africa they are more likely to sell the baby for income rather than make them pets. There are many social variables to this problem and in order to stop primate killing those issues need to be solved first. My point is that wild animals do not make good pets and endangered species must be protected in the best way possible so they remain a part of the world we live in.

[jdram0731]

I agree.

[Wonderful81]

I hope they will succeed in getting out of this place and get him him to a sanctuary. It breaks my heart to see such a beautiful animal all alone in this unnatural environment. If I were a tourist here, I would have my holidays totally spoiled by this. Keep wildlife in the wild!

[UrbaneGent]

FYI - I spoke with "Chimp Eden's" Phillip Cronje and he told me they have been working on getting Balu to a sanctuary without luck. But they are still working on it. Thought I would share.

[UrbaneGent]

Humans and primates have lived in harmony on the African continent for thousands of generations and yes, some were even kept as pets in tribes. Things changed around 1500 when Europeans began to bring them from Africa as exotic pets for the wealthy. One was dissected after dying from a tooth infection on the voyage to Europe and found to be almost identical to a human body. This was the beginning of literally killing hundreds of thousands to take infant chimps to be studied or tested

[UrbaneGent]

The best book out there was written by a dear friend of mine, and it is just incredible, called "Eating Apes" by Dale Peterson. Truly a MUST read.

In the meantime, I have sent an e-mail to someone who might be able to see where "Balu" currently is and should be placed somewhere safe.

[UrbaneGent]

If this infant were left in the wild for a chimpanzee community it will 99% be killed (chimps do practice infanticide). It would either have to be slowly introduced to a captive female over the course of months or introduced to a group of other orphaned infants roughly the same age. He will have to learn to be a chimp - this can only be done at a sanctuary. I would say zoo but most zoos in Africa are in bad shape and lack resources.

[UrbaneGent]

PART 2: most definitely be chained or caged by the time he is three to five years old. There is no other way. He will want to play with the tourists and being 5x stronger will knock down tables and chairs. Not only that, when he is hungry, he will help himself - remember we are talking age three now (at age three infants will violently attack other infants). What usually happens then is tourists will throw food, cigarettes, beer and will become a "mascot" for the bar. It's awful.

[UrbaneGent]

PART 1: This is a disturbing video - on many fronts. Infant chimps begin to walk at around five months. I put this one less than a year old, he is gorgeous and well-cared for, you can tell from his healthy hair, body and hands/feet. However, he is missing his real family and his mother, which he would still be suckling until five years old. Having been to many parts of Africa INCLUDING Liberia, where there are tourists (as you can see in the end there are tourists), this chimp will

[aliveinsd]

Wow! One doen't usually find such venom on Youtube. The chimp-python thing is epic. If I may referee, you both have made your points. Shake and make friends. You both care about the planet's lesser creatures--and that is really the main ingredient here.

[wolfyhound]

Once again, you assume wrongly. As a proponant of captive breeding, I purchased only captive bred snakes too. And since there are videos of the eggs in my incubator, I falsely assumed people were bright enough to know the babies would be captive bred. Having met you, I'll change that so it does state "Please purchase captive bred pythons!"

Thanks for the advice.

[jdram0731]

Oh, another thing. You might want to change your posting on pythons, since you seem to suggest that they are "nice pets." I didn't hear any disclaimers regarding "captive breeding." Just pets. Kind of like a pet chimpanzee.

[jdram0731]

Wolfy, you aren't suggesting that those pythons are better off in your apartment than in the wild, are you? Did you obtain their consent or ask for a waiver? How did you get them anyway. Oh, you "imported them." What if more people used that as a rationale for keeping several snakes in their home? Kind of counterproductive, wouldn't you say? And therein lies the problem. Self-righteous rationalization for further exploitation.

[wolfyhound]

If you are educated, then why would you state that it's well cared for? What do you think happens when it gets into the chimp teen years?

And to educate you, my pythons are ball pythons, which not only have had the wild number RISE in the last decade, but I am contributing to captive breeding, so that more do NOT need to be imported. My keeping simulates the need for close warm dark quarters even, as opposed to sticking them into a brightly lit display for my own amusement.

[jdram0731]

Oh, and by the way, wolfy, I checked out your collection of captive snakes, pythons to be exact. I wonder if that python would be happier in the wild than held against its will by you. There are several articles on endangered pythons. Perhaps you should check them out.

[jdram0731]

Wolfy, I am sufficiently educated on the plight of chimps and people, but unlike you, I do not make assumptions about other people's educational background or experience. That, my little hound, is the epitome of ignorance.

[wolfyhound]

That baby has a horrible life of deprivation in front of it. I'd hope you would educate yourself on the plight of chimps, instead of having a useless internet argument.

[jdram0731]

Dear psycho, are you really "sure" that its the tourists eating all the bushmeat? I hate to burst your bubble, but this particular chimp hails from Liberia, which is recovering from an over 14 year civil war. There are no tourists to speak of at the moment. People were so hungry during that crisis, they ate a lot more than monkeys and chimps. I can't help but wonder, did you express any outrage over the 300,000 plus human deaths? We all have to pick our battles, pardon the pun.

[libsandeh]

I appreciate the recommendation on fine dining in South Carolina. Were you referring to jerk seasoned chimp? Not my thing. I'd rather photograph nature rather than stick a fork in it. But seriously, psycho, must everyone, including "these people," the Africans, whom you've never met, subscribe to your world view? I didn't know that vegans were so knowledgeable about the adoption habits of "most chimp females."

[psychocalikitty]

My friend knows this restaurant that they sell monkey meat right in South Carolina. Maybe you should try it out.

Jerk!!

[psychocalikitty]

I am vegan...I do not use anything tested on animals and why can't these people put her in a safe place with her own kind. Most chimp females will adopt her. She needs a chance to thrive in her own environment. I know for a fact there is sanctuaries in Africa.

Oh testing on primates is unproductive. libsandeh..Its sounds like to me you are high brow. It's funny but, I am sure it is more of the tourist eating the bushmeat then the Africans.