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[Joe Garden <joegarden AT yahoo.com>]

I personally believe that Chimps have unsatisfying jobs, lousy sex lives
and are falling prey to male pattern baldness.

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/010510/0347.html

Majority of Americans Believe Chimpanzees Have ``Complex Social,
Intellectual and Emotional Lives'' Similar to Humans

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 10, 2001--A recent survey, commissioned
by The Doris Day Animal League (DDAL), a national animal- welfare lobbying
organization, reveals overwhelmingly that Americans believe chimpanzees
and humans have much in common, and that chimps should be protected by
some of the same rights extended to children. 

A majority (85 percent) of those surveyed believe that chimpanzees have
complex social, intellectual and emotional lives similar to humans,
pointing out the awareness that chimps are social and usually live in
large groups that include extended families. 

The survey, conducted last month by Zogby International of Utica, N.Y.,
found that nearly nine in 10 Americans feel it is unacceptable to confine
chimps to government-approved cages. 

``It is evident from the many letters, phone calls and e-mails we receive
on a daily basis that Americans are increasingly concerned for the overall
welfare of chimpanzees,'' said Holly Hazard, executive director for DDAL. 

``The chimpanzee is an animal with physical and emotional traits closely
related to humans, and there are special bonds between humans and these
primates. The results of the survey confirmed the unique concern and care
for chimps that Americans have.'' 

Random interviews of 1,217 adults were conducted nationwide from April 24
through April 27, 2001 (with a margin of error of +/-3 percent). Other
findings include: 

*       A little more than half of the Americans surveyed (51 percent) believe
that chimps should have the same legal standing as children, with a
guardian appointed to look after their interests.
*       Seven in 10 (69 percent) Americans would support a law that gives
concerned parties the right to sue on behalf of abused chimps.
*       One in four (24 percent) last saw a chimp in a television documentary,
22 percent in a television commercial and 21 percent last saw a chimp in a
zoo.
*       Although many saw those chimps confined, most respondents believe that
chimpanzees should be treated as well as possible if they have to be in
captivity. Nine in 10 (90 percent) told pollsters it is unacceptable to
confine chimps to 5-by-5-by-7- foot cages (the legal space requirements
under the Animal Welfare Act), and 80 percent believe the government
should pay for permanent retirement to a primate sanctuary for chimps who
are no longer used for laboratory or experimentation purposes.
*       When asked about the use of chimps in the entertainment industry, more
than half (51 percent) say they would have no problem boycotting
entertainment venues and their advertisers if it were disclosed that
chimps had been physically abused to make them perform. 

``There were geographical and gender differences between those surveyed --
with younger people and women, for example, finding research on chimps
much less acceptable,'' Hazard added. ``Overall, though, the concern is
evident on behalf of most Americans.'' 

The Doris Day Animal League was founded in 1987 by Doris Day to seek
permanent changes in local, state and federal legislation to protect
animals and has successfully sponsored numerous bills. For more
information on the Doris Day Animal League, visit its Web site,
www.ddal.org. 

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