Animal Planet used to be the home for family-friendly stories of cats, dogs and birds, and their interaction with the people who love them. Today, the public’s near-insatiable demand for shows featuring animals in the wild makes it just as likely that an Animal Planet special will have a “viewer discretion advised” warning so that small children will not be traumatized by the sight of animals doing what comes naturally.
And “viewer discretion” is certainly needed for the Animal Planet (HD) series Fatal Attractions, airing Sundays beginning March 14, which details the tragic fates of exotic-animal caregivers who made the mistake of thinking that with the right amount of love, wild animals will be cute and cuddly, too.
Even squeamish adults may want to think twice about watching these three hourlong episodes — dealing with reptiles, big cats and chimpanzees — all of which, as the name of the series suggests, end badly. But the series goes beyond the gruesome fate of unsuspecting caregivers and examines the psychology of those who ignore the hazards and bring exotic creatures into their lives and homes. Different animals attract different types of people — loners may find themselves attracted to lizards or reptiles, those with a taste for the wild and exotic may prefer big cats, while those looking for a substitute for a human child may find themselves drawn to chimpanzees and other primates.
This last was the case with former NASCAR driver St. James Davis and wife LaDonna, who are featured in the emotionally wrenching “Chimpanzees” episode. While on a visit to Tanzania, St. James Davis rescued an orphaned newborn chimp whose mother had been killed by poachers. He cared for it there then brought it home. He and his wife, whose plans for a large family were dashed when she was diagnosed with uterine cancer, raised Moe the chimp as their child — toilet training him, teaching him to eat with a fork and drive a car. He was by all accounts as loving to them as they were to him, and he became a local celebrity and occasional film star. When Moe bit a stranger, however, he was removed from their house. And watching the Davises — who suffered horrible injuries when they were attacked by a pair of chimps while visiting the wildlife sanctuary where Moe had been placed — describe their bond with Moe, one sees a similar anguish to that of parents whose child has been taken away. Still, looking at St. James Davis’ face will bring memories of the recent vicious attack by a chimp named Travis that left a woman similarly scarred.
For Jeanne Rizzotto, who owns two chimps related to Travis, that attack was a wake-up call to get her chimps out of their bedrooms in her house. Unable to find a shelter to take the chimps, she has taken precautions, including putting them in an enclosure. “I don’t do any of the cutesy stuff with them anymore. I’m trying the best I can to turn them back into chimpanzees,” she says.
She is making a difficult choice, because pets are so much a part of their owners’ lives. Julie Burros — who, along with her black leopard Jovani, is featured in the “Big Cats” episode, tells of her feelings while Jovani was attacking her. “When he attacked me, when I was on the ground, I continued talking to him calmly just like I’m talking to each and every one of y’all. I told him, I said, ‘The consequences, you know, are bad. It’s either going to be you or me.’ And I said that I know I don’t want it to be you, but it happened. And I still love him and I miss him, and I would love to do it again. I really would.”
One point Jovani’s fate makes clear is that owning exotic animals may be dangerous for humans but when the animal does what comes naturally and harms someone, it will be put down. As one wildlife expert featured in the series comments, “Keep the animals in your heart, not your home.”
