Woman Banned From Belgium Zoo for Having an Affair With Chimpanzee

Adie Timmermans was banned from a Belgian zoo after having an affair with the chimpanzee Chita.

Representational image. Adie Timmermans was banned from an Antwerp zoo for having an affair with a chimpanzee.

(Photo Courtesy: Unsplash)

Being an animal lover is one thing, but a woman in Antwerp, Belgium, took the expression quite literally after she claimed that she had a 4-year-long affair with a chimpanzee at a zoo.

Adie Timmermans was recently banned from the zoo after claiming that she had an affair with Chita, the chimpanzee at the zoo. The two used to apparently interact from the glass partition between them and blow kisses at one another. The zoo decided to ban the woman because authorities there believed that Chita's closeness to Adie was proving to be harmful for his relationship and bonding with the other chimpanzees there and hindering his growth with them.

Responding to the ban, Adie said, "I love that animal and he loves me. I haven’t got anything else. Why do they want to take that away. We're having an affair, I’ll just say."

The zoo, however, stood its ground and even said, "When Chita is constantly busy with visitors, the other monkeys ignore him and don’t consider him part of the group, even though that is important. He then sits on his own outside of visiting hours."

Adie continues to feel discriminated against and does not agree with the zoo's decision.

(With inputs from Wion).