The zoo said the relationship was ‘unhealthy’ for the chimp
Antwerp Zoo has banned a woman from visiting the Chimpanzee enclosure because of their ‘close relationship’. But just how close is this relationship you ask? Well, so close that the woman in question, Adie Timmermans, says “we’re having an affair’.
Chita, a 38-year-old male chimpanzee, has been at the Belgian zoo for thirty years following his time as a pet that became ‘unmanageable’. Chita has reportedly had issues integrating himself into the Chimp group, having had serious injuries inflicted on him back in 2008.
But Chita does have one ‘friend’ in the form of Adie Timmermans.
Adie’s relationship with Chita sees the pair waving and blowing kisses to each other through the glass of the chimp enclosure every week, and Adie steadfastly believes the chimp loves her. Their relationship has become so deep that Timmermans believes Chita loves her.
“I love that animal and he loves me. I haven’t got anything else. Why do they want to take that away?” she told Belgian news channel ATV.
But this relationship has reportedly led to Chita becoming more ostracised by the other primates.
“When Chita is constantly surrounded by visitors, the other animals ignore him and don’t consider him part of the group,’ zoo curator Sarah Lafaut told ATV.
“He then sits on his own outside of visiting hours. An animal that is too focused on people is less respected by its peers and we want Chita to be a chimpanzee as much as possible.”
The zoo has now had to ban Timmermans from visiting the Chimp enclosure in the hopes Chita will integrate with his own species.
Though Timmermans is not able to visit the Chimp’s anymore, there’s always Tinder?
