Adie Timmermans is a Belgian woman who was banned from a zoo in Belgium because of a long-standing emotional affair with a chimpanzee, according to reports in Belgian media.
Timmermans admits having a close relationship with the chimp named Chita, but zoo officials say it’s causing problems for the ape because other monkeys are now ignoring him, according to a television report on ATV.be, a Belgian television station that has reported on the situation.
What does the relationship consist of? According to Daily Mail’s translation of the ATV.be television story, the pair wave and blow kisses at each other through glass, and Timmermans believes the ape loves her.
The odd situation has now sparked news headlines throughout the world.
Here’s what you need to know:
Timmermans Labeled Her Relationship With the Chimp an ‘Affair’ to Belgian Television
ATV.beChita
ATV.be is a Belgian television station that has reported on the situation.
“Adie Timmermans, an animal lover and subscriber of the Antwerp Zoo from Deurne, has received a remarkable letter from the zoo,” the television station reported.
“She is asked not to make contact with chimpanzee Chita when she comes to visit. Adie goes to the Zoo every week and Chita always cheerfully walks over, after which the two play together at the window for a while, but according to the Zoo that is not good for the monkey’s well-being. The rest of the chimpanzees exclude him every time he has had contact with humans. Adie is at the heart of it.”
Timmermans told ATV, according to a translation by LadBible, “I love that animal and he loves me. I haven’t got anything else. Why do they want to take that away?”
She claimed it was unfair that others can see Chita but she can’t, adding: “We’re having an affair, I’ll just say. Other dozens of visitors are allowed to make contact. Then why not me?”
ATV reported that Timmermans has visited the chimp every week for four years and believes she’s in a “relationship” with the animal, according to a Daily Mail translation.
The Zoo Says It Acted for the Good of the Chimpanzee
Why doesn’t the zoo want Timmermans to see Chita? Other monkeys shun him if he spends too much time with humans.
“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, according to a translation by HITC.
Chita is now ostracized and often alone, the site reported.
“An animal that is too focused on people is less respected by its peers. We want Chita to be a chimpanzee as much as possible,” she continued.
She told Radio 2 Antwerp, according to LadBible: “Of course we are happy when our visitors feel so involved with the animals, but animal welfare comes first here. Chita was brought to the zoo 30 years ago because he was a pet at the time and became unmanageable. He learned chimpanzee behavior with us, but the interest in humans has remained.”
Researchers have found that chimpanzees who aren’t exposed to other chimps early on have behavioral issues. “We found that chimpanzees who experienced less exposure to other chimpanzees as infants showed a lower frequency of grooming and sexual behaviors later in life which can influence social dynamics within groups,” according to the 2014 article, The impact of atypical early histories on pet or performer chimpanzees.