There is so much tragedy in the world and on the news, and that is not what this site is about. However,  this recent story in the news about Sandra Herold and her pet chimp and her best friend  is so sad.  I just had to comment on it.

As some of you may know, I used to work for Las Vegas entertainers Siegfried & Roy. I was a freelance writer for them for 7 years, right up until  Roy's accident.

A lot  of people do not know that Siegfried & Roy worked tirelessly, and spent MILLIONS  of dollars on lion and tiger conservation and preservation.  They raised  many animals from birth in their homes.
 
It was not uncommon for one or two of the 600+ pound animals to crawl into bed at night with Roy!  It was not uncommon to see a snow leopard strolling through the yard - or even the living room!


The cats would shower Roy with affection. He has an almost transcendental rapport with them animals. "I am like their father figure, their guide through the world,"  he told me once. "I meditate with them, live with them, swim with them. I am their friend - but not their boss. But make no mistake...these are not tamed animals but hand-raised exotic creatures that have been conditioned to live and work with us. We give them a great deal of respect and never forget their natural instincts."

Did you ever watch that show  SNAPPED? - What makes a child take a gun to school and start a killing spree? We will never know what made Roy's tiger friend Montecore  SNAP that night. Or what made Sandra Herold's chimp Travis attack the way he did.  This 14 year old, 200-pound chimpanzee was raised by her since birth. The chimp was like a son to her. Imagine what you would do, if your son snapped, and started attacking your best friend - and you had to go after him with a butcher knife to try and stop him?!

It's such a horrible sad story. The chimp had to be shot and Sandra's friend is still in critical condition.

Dogs can be friendly, dogs can be violent, but what actually causes a dog who has never shown signs of aggression,  to suddenly attack? No one knows.

Anyone who has ever had a pet knows it doesn't take long for an animal to become part of the family. Pets know no prejudice. They only know love and bring much and joy and happiness to a home. Pets give love unconditionally, and that's part of the reason we become so attached to them.

We have to remember animals are not people. They can be  unpredictable and dangerous. - But then again, so can people.

So what do we do?


Michael Snell