'Speed Racer': PETA alleges chimpanzee abuse on set

PETA Germany is up in arms today, over the alleged mistreatment of a chimpanzee on the set of the Warner Bros. film, "Speed Racer."  According to a report from PETA, a representative for the American Humane Association (AHA) witnessed the abuse firsthand. The AHA states that a chimp bit one of the actors, leading animal trainer Greg Lille to, "in an uncontrolled impulse, hit" one of the other chimpanzees. German PETA is filing charges against the trainer.

"No matter where great apes and other animals are used as 'actors,'  you'll find abuse," said PETA Director Debbie Leahy.  "We're urging anyone involved in any facet of film production to contact PETA immediately if they witness or suspect animal abuse."

-- Stephanie Lysaght

Comments

[Jay]

If this allegedly happened ON SET why wasn't it reported during filming? Why wait until the film had already premiered to make a stink? Publicity maybe?

[James]

Who cares?
I would probably do the same thing.

[Matt]

James, what a stupid and sadistic comment. I'm sure if you were the one being hit, you'd be thrilled. But only if you're a masochist as well.

[Booo]

get a liiiiife. The ape bit a person! I'm sure it wasn't a Jet Li punch to the head, but probably a "don't bite any more human beings or I'll get sued for that". Someone's trying to get attention....

[harrison]

Apes get eaten alive by tigers all the time out in the jungle.

Humanity is a predatory, pack hunting species... you're made that this guy disciplined his chimp after BITING a human being?

Lol... madness.

[Danny]

Learn how to read. It says a chimp bit someone, causing him to hit a different chimp.

[Maurice]

What, PETA is not concerned about the abuse of the audiences that went to see the movie? It hurt more just to watch the first seven minutes on YouTube than my wisdom tooth extractions, and I at least got Novacaine for that.

[Jerome]

I am an avid supporter of animal rights, but hitting an animal that just BIT a human being doesn't qualify as cruelty in my book. This is just some publicity stunt by PETA. PETA, there are enough real abuses going on daily, the solution to ethical treatment of animals does not lie in complete separation, but in respect between humans and animals. If the animal bites you, you bite back.

[jack]

I love comments that begin with a profession of avid support for animal rights, and end by justifying the beating of an animal who's being forced to do something against his will. Nice one, Jerome.

[Andy]

"in an uncontrolled impulse, hit" one of the other chimpanzees.

Way to read people. He hit a different chimp, not the one who bit him. Disciplining an animal is fine, but taking your anger out on a chimp like it's a punching bag is not okay by any means.

[sophia]

Sometimes I see the previews in the theater and always hear some people laughing when there are animals being made to do foolish things or being forced to fight. It is just not funny to enslave the animals. Humans are the most evil creatures on this earth; only care about making money at the expense of the suffering of many animals. With attitudes like " who cares? Monkey bites and he gets punished." Why don't you ask why did the monkey "bite" in the first Place? We condemn the human slavery and it is time to also condemn the animal slavery.
Sophia

[In Korea a dog is not just for Christmas.]

Just remember. If the Chimp was that upset, it has the strangth to rip the trainer's head off. And I'm not being metaphorical here.

[Robert]

Jack: Jerome expressed a balanced viewpoint. You seem to imply that this is hypocritical.
Andy: Go over it again, this is the ALLEGED accusation made by an unnamed source. Here is the part of the article you left out: "alleged mistreatment of a chimpanzee".
Sophia: The animal was a chimp (a great ape) not a monkey. You can tell the difference because most monkeys have tails.

One of the things I find most disturbing about PeTA (besides the irresponsible publicity campaigns and abusive tactics), and many that support their position, is the sense I get that MANY of the supporters are misinformed and are unable to make rational arguments in defense of their position.

Live your lifestyle, but do not impose your philosophy on others. Loud, offensive, and abusive tactics do not make you right. You only isolate yourselves from others of your own species. Tactics like this against someone, who incidentally also operates a chimp rescue operation, are irresponsible.

[Jason]

Trainers take infant and juvenile chimpanzees, an endangered species, and force them to perform ridiculous stunts and gags as actors in awful movies and commercials. These chimpanzees are routinely beaten, harassed, and humiliated as part of the training process.

Then, when one of these unfortunate individuals does something completely natural, like lashing out and biting someone, we blame the chimpanzee, justify his or her further abuse, and make more jokes of the situation.

These are being to whom we should extend, at the very least, some modicum of respect, and whom we should approach with the utmost humility. Instead, we arrogantly use (and abuse) them in obscene ways--all to turn a cheap buck. I would hope some of us, at least, are shamed by this.

Someone identifying himself or herself as "In Korea a dog is not just for Christmas" wrote: "Live your lifestyle, but do not impose your philosophy on others. Loud, offensive, and abusive tactics do not make you right. You only isolate yourselves from others of your own species." There was a time in the US when people held similar views about humans of African and other "foreign" descent. A "proper" person would not speak up too loudly about the mistreatment of these individuals at the hands of slave owners and traders--doing so would only isolate the dissidents from others of their own race.

Some will likely be offended by the comparison, arguing that non-human animals are fundamentally different from human animals. I would remind you, though, that the same argument has routinely been raised against many different human groups, that we've deemed "sub-human". We have obtained some enlightenment in recent decades and largely extended the circle of compassion and understanding to all humans--I would hope that some day we could extend that further to non-humans. I have little hope, though, that we will do so before we have eradicated most of them (chimpanzees included, sadly) from the planet.

[Scott]

Blanket statements about trainers and abuses, and regurgitation of the usual PeTA drivel serve no purpose here. The only thing PeTA has is an allegation.

I don't work with animals directly or know these people. But every trainer I've seen treat the animals like their family. So there's my blanket statement.

Nobody likes animal abuse but reserve judgment until there is actually a fact presented.