Chippy caught with stolen phone.

[Paul]

   Chippy the chimpanzee was caught with his stolen phone. He is sad he can no longer make phone calls.

   Here is the Reuters story.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Paul ~ How do you find these neat tails?

Reminds me of Boots, the Kat's, frequent antics with the home phone... I've often come home to a dead phone - always find the "Princess" phone by the computer off-hook. Heard the phone rattling one night - snuck up and found the Kat sitting beside it and reaching over the handset, curling his paw over it and actually trying to lift and pull it off the cradle. After several more attempts, his claws finally hooked on and he deftly pulled it off onto the desk. He sat quietly listening to the dial tone that was soon followed by a soft, female recording saying "If you'd like to make a call, please hang up and try your call again." During the recording, which repeated once, he turned his
head constantly from side to side, focusing his attention on the receiver end. On cue, probably from the many prior experiences, he leaped off the desk just before the obnoxious warbling tone started!

He also likes to sit near the answering machine if it's activated and playing messages - I suspect he's also been in attendance and listened to the original recording while it was being made .

I wonder how many calls I miss because Boots "answers" and then forgets to write down the message ! /s/ Phred

[Paul]

   I heard this story on the radio. Their introduction to the story said something about it not being any comfort to those who have not mastered their cell phones.

   The Reuters Human Interest page often has animal stories. In this case they did not include the Chippy photo.

   I think they should give Chippy a mobile phone of his very own with the numbers of park visitors who would be pleased to take his phone calls.

[Daisy's Mom]

Ha! That's cute. I am going to show my mother that. She has no IDEA how to use the mobile phone Dad got her for Mother's Day! But if a chimpanzee can do it, so can she... I hope!

[Gio]

I had a cat once that when we were on the phone for what she considered too long she would first try to get our attention and if the did not succeed she would just cut us off.

[Pam]

Phred...I can picture that so clearly!! Thanks for the morning laugh!!! Cats find the neatest ways to amuse themselves! My Andy jumped on the clock radio one morning and turned it on. The human voice booming out below him scared him to death and he was out of the room in a flash!

[4 feline house]

My dad had to glue little blocks of wood around the "play" button of his answering machine so that no paws could depress it and erase his messages!

[tatsxxx11]

When Mr. B, the senior kitty, DEMANDS my attention (usually for MORE FOOD) he jumps up onto the desk in the kitchen and knocks the receiver off the hook Maybe he's trying to dial 911 EMERGENCY...I'M OUT OF BONKERS!!!