Chimpanzees enter the space at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Captive chimpanzees were not protected by the Endangered Species Act until 2015, and even now, there is no blanket federal prohibition on private citizens owning chimps or raising them as pets and performers. — ©2024 The New York Times Company
IT was a rainy morning at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, and at the chimpanzee exhibit, it was the children who were hooting and hollering. The apes themselves were placid, ignoring their rowdy audience as they foraged for leaves and swayed in small hammocks.
Hidden behind the scenes, out of public view, lived another group of chimps who were far less sanguine about strangers. And when they spotted two unfamiliar visitors, they rushed over to the edge of their enclosure. Eli, a gentle young adult, approached with his hair standing on end. Then Susie, a small but strong-willed female, spotted a photographer and began to shriek.
