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ESSENTIAL DESTINATIONS

MONTH: January/February 2007

Sid Yost performing chimps to be retired

 

PETALUMA, Calif.--The Animal Legal Defense Fund on December 7, 2006 announced that three performing chimpanzees formerly kept by Hollywood trainer Sid Yost would be retired to the Center for Captive Chimpanzee Care facilities in New Mexico and Florida, where they will be reunited with members of their biological families.

"A fourth chimpanzee, Apollo, allegedly received a fatal rattlesnake bite in July while in his cage at the San Bernardino facility," the ALDF announcement said.

The ALDF sued on the chimps' behalf, the ALDF recounted, after "Co-plaintiffs, including primatologist Sarah Baeckler, who worked alongside Yost, witnessed him beating the animals with sticks, punching them, and inflicting pain in order to force them to perform. Yost has been fined and placed on probation repeatedly in the past for animal-related offenses," the ALDF said, "including a $2,000 fine from the USDA in 2002 when one chimpanzee bit a boy attending his show in Ventura County, and a $1,000 fine from the California Department of Fish and Game for illegal possession of a lion cub.

"After being notified about the ALDF's suit against Yost when a film starring one of his chimpanzees won the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker's Award last year," ALDF added, "Coca-Cola amended their contest rules to ban the use of primates in future film submissions. Yost continues to deny the allegations against him."