“Indianapolis Zoo President and CEO Dr Rob Shumaker sustained an injury while feeding a chimpanzee through a mesh barrier last week. The tip of Dr Shumaker’s finger was bitten, and he received medical attention for the wound. Dr Shumaker has recovered, and the chimpanzee has no ill-effects. The incident was reported to the zoo’s accrediting body, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and was reported internally to relevant staff and to the zoo’s board chair.”
“Dr Shumaker is a primatologist who has spent his career researching and interacting with great apes and the incident occurred during a standard feeding interaction,” said the Indianapolis Zoo in a statement to Fox59 on Tuesday, with the “no ill-effects” part heavily implying the chimp could’ve gotten AIDS or rabies or something from biting Shumaker but tested negative.
Also if you’ve ever seen NOPE or heard of the Travis incident in 2010 you know what a “standard feeding interaction” could turn into, so just stay the hell away from chimpanzees at all costs.