While it is one thing for human beings to be animal lovers, the same love for animals was left shocked when a woman claimed that she really was a lover of an animal.
Antwerp Zoo has banned a Belgian woman after the officials noticed that she had been spending a little too much time with a specific chimpanzee. Later, the woman claimed she was spending so much time with the animal because she was having an “affair” with the chimp.
According to reports, Adie Timmermans began visiting the zoo every week and used to keep conversing with a 38-year-old chimpanzee called Chita. The two used to interact from the opposite sides of the glass enclosure while waving and blowing kisses at each other.
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Her visits continued for four years before the zoo authorities decided that an action had to be taken against the growing friendship.
“I love that animal and he loves me. I haven’t got anything else. Why do they want to take that away,” Timmermans said. “We’re having an affair, I’ll just say,” she added.
However, the authorities in the zoo believe that their “love affair” was proving to be harmful for Chita as it was becoming an obstacle in developing a relationship with the other chimpanzees.
“When Chita is constantly busy with visitors, the other monkeys ignore him and don’t consider him part of the group, even though that is important. He then sits on his own outside of visiting hours,” the zoo said.
“She has got a little too close to the primate, that’s why she has been banned from visiting the chimpanzee at the zoo,” the officials said.
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However, the chimpanzees lover feels that the zoo authorities are being unfair and questioned, “other dozens of visitors are allowed to make contact. Then why not me?”
Meanwhile, according to the officials of the zoo, they are doing all for the safety of the animal as they only want the animal to be happy.