A local zoo in Belgium banned a woman from visiting because she reportedly had a close relationship with one of the chimpanzees, ATV reported.
Adie Timmermans visited Chita, a 38-year-old chimpanzee, multiple times at Antwerp Zoo every week for the past four years, according to multiple outlets. Timmermans said she and Chita formed a close friendship. (RELATED: Gorillas At The San Diego Zoo Test Positive For Coronavirus)
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“I love that animal and he loves me,” Timmermans said in an interview with ATV, according to LadBible.
Zoo officials said that the friendship between Timmermans and Chita has hurt the chimpanzee’s social status with the other chimpanzees.
“When Chita is constantly surrounded by visitors, the other monkeys ignore him and don’t consider him part of the group, even though it’s important for him,” a zoo spokesperson told ATV. “He then sits on his own outside of visiting hours.”
The zoo then banned Timmermans from visiting the chimpanzee because she was preventing him from bonding with his peers.
“I haven’t got anything else,” Timmermans said. “Why do they want to take that away?” she asked in her interview with ATV. “We’re having an affair, I’ll just say. Other dozens of visitors are allowed to make contact. Then why not me?”