I was really taken by the originals in the series of Planet of the Ape movies that appealed to my science fiction tastes. Some were less clever than others.  I've also enjoyed other movies with cute chimpanzees and the ads also.  They always make me smile. Then I was assigned by the Southwest Spotlight to visit the Great Ape Sanctuary in central Florida and write an article. Now, my caged bird is an issue to my heart.

I highly recommend reading "A Home for Bubbles" in the January 16 issue of the Southwest Spotlight . It's an eye opener regarding the cute great ape babies that entertain us so well as pets, movie stars and ad material, raised like human babies after being ripped from their own mothers, then tossed away as they leave childhood, a mere six to eight years old, too large and unmanageable.  Yet, they have nearly 50 years of adulthood remaining.  Much of it is spent in cages, research facilities, roadside zoos and general neglect since none of the money they earned went for their care - it only went into the pockets of trainers, producers and advertisers. They lost the early training for survival as a species and cannot return to the wild - and many came from domestic breeders, no wild in their history.

Great apes may disappear as their habitat is threatened.  The growth of palm oil use has destroyed Orangutan habitat and many of the animals themselves.  

Fortunately, our nearest kin in the animal kingdom have advocates who attempt to provide care and dignity in a safe environment for discarded great apes.  The cost is horrific; it is better to never again use baby great apes for human entertainment.  Computer Graphic Imaging can produce entertaining movies and ads.  Other domestic animals are better pets.

Take a look at a local paper that writes about what's good in the world for a change.  The Southwest Spotlight recently celebrated its two-year anniversary, a quality local paper with an eye toward what matters in the world at large.  www.dkchristi.com