ReChimping

Yesterday, while listening to NPR, I learned a lot about chimps and retirement. Some folks have noticed chimps are too human-like to be destroyed with the same disregard afforded other animals, so a chimp retirement home,“Chimp Haven”, has been opened in Louisiana for retired chimp actors and medical research subjects. Overly-socialized chimps are given an opportunity to “rechimp” here. Don’t you just love that word/ concept? I notice that Victor regularly rechimps - especially on the weekend when he is able to shed his work attire and don some less-restrictive garments. Sundays are a prime (or perhaps primate) opportunity for rechimping. This afternoon Victor will don his Jeff Gordon tshirt and shorts and grunt at the Nascar race on TV while eating chicken wings
and flinging the chewed bones around his cage, I mean the living room.
By the way, Cheeta at age 75 is the oldest living retired chimp actor, and he lives in Palm Springs at the C.H.E.E.T.A. resort where he drinks lowfat banana smoothies (he is diabetic), watches old movies on TV, and paints (“ape-stract” style). Boan and Bae-bo, does this sound familiar???