Monkey...excuse me...APE business

This past weekend The Scribblers had the chance to go to a Petting Farm that boasts domestic and exotic wildlife. They went with a group and had the chance to play on massive playsets, see and pet some horses...

Quote the book "Llama Llama Mad At Momma"...I still think they were alpacas or something...
,Belly became entranced with a zebra/mule mix and it was entranced right back at the little girl in a tutu.

And then...they brought this girl out.


Don't pay attention to the smiling faces in the background, don't get caught up in the cutesy diaper...this is a wild animal.

Anyone remember this story(graphic photos..no children please)or this one?

The children were told to sit in a circle and calmly let the ape sit in their laps, don't scream and don't push it back if it pushes you.

What? Seriously? These are children who have never held an ape are supposed to know that it is not going to scare them? If this ape flips out, is that little leash going to prevent those strong hands or large teeth from permanently disfiguring a child?

This ape wildly jumped from child to child. Sometimes pushing the child's chest and sometimes jumping on their head. My children did not sit in the circle. Call me "THAT" mom, but I was not comfortable with the situation at all.

There are a lot of situations that I am "THAT" mom, not just ones that include wild animals. I think about the possibilities or things that could go wrong and its just not worth taking a chance that it might go right. I don't seriously shelter my children, but as their mom I will prevent them from blindly stepping into harm's way or being placed in harm's way by someone who thinks the situation is no big deal...it's kinda my job.

The Scribblers had come home with a standard release form. I had to sign off that they could attend and be medically treated if necessary. It didn't say anything about allowing the children to play with wild animals. I had never been to this place and did not know what kind of animals were there. I had almost considered sending them and not going myself. I trusted the other adults to watch my kids pet a horse, look at cows or get spit on by a llama/alpaca/whatever. I am not sure the other adults knew there would be an ape on a leash, but I am glad I went. If my kids had come home telling me about being allowed to handle an ape, I would have gone bananas. At their ages....it wouldn't have happened and a release form was all it took to put them in harm's way. I will be asking questions from now on that The Scribblers attend anything. What may seem like innocent fun to some can go wrong in so many ways when dealing with a "domesticated" wild animal.

Let's not forget Siegfried and Roy...weren't they professionals for many years with animals they had bottle raised; wild animals. Wild animals should not be trusted, no matter how many years they have proved themselves to be "domesticated" Allowing this ape to mingle with very small children was irresponsible at best. The "what ifs" are just not worth it.

Yes, I am THAT mom...but its my job.

Would you have signed a release form without knowing what was going to go on? Would you have been upset if you found out your child was playing with an ape?