I was listening to the Terry Gross show on NPR yesterday and heard an interesting interview with a guy who had written a book about retired chimps (i.e. retired from performing or lab experiments). As it turns out, chimps really enjoy watching TV, according to this guy, and they like action shows, nature shows, and—surprisingly—soap operas. Apparently, General Hospital is a big favorite with the retired lab chimps, which the guy said was because they’re so familiar with people wearing white coats. (He seemed serious when he said this!)
Where is this leading?
Wouldn’t “Chimps Watching General Hospital” be a GREAT title for a poem? I wish I could write it, but since my poetic skills are less than nil, I send it out into the world for inspiration for others. No need to thank me….
Here’s the guest and book info from the website: Charles Siebert's new book, The Wauchula Woods Accord: Toward A New Understanding of Animals, details his encounters with Roger, a retired former circus chimp, who lived at the Center for Great Apes in Florida and preferred the company of humans to chimps. More info here.
