Letter: Chimps deserve better treatment
The research presented at the “Primate Theory of the Mind” lecture only further adds to the wealth of observations of chimpanzee intellect, emotions and culture once only relegated to humans (“Chimps, people think alike,” 11/ 10). Unfortunately, despite this evidence, approximately 1,200 chimpanzees — some once free and wild in Africa — are still being held, many for decades now, in American laboratories.
But there is hope for those chimpanzees remaining in labs. Mounting public opposition to invasive research conducted on chimpanzees and the extremely high financial and ethical...
This was an excellent letter.
Chimpanzees deserve to be treated as conscious beings rather objects on whom we impose our will. But, it should not stop there. At the very least, all primates should be treated as co-equals.
What's bizzare is that in many ways we treat our pets — dogs and cats — significantly better than we treat primates.