Monkeys

A widely publicized theory that human AIDS viruses originated in recent years from related viruses harbored by African green monkeys has been refuted by new data showing distinct differences in the molecular structure of the human and monkey viruses, University of Tokyo researchers reported today. The new findings lend support to other explanations for the origins of human AIDS viruses.

The deadly Ebola virus has struck two monkeys imported into Texas from the Philippines, federal health officials confirmed as they worked to contain the outbreak at a primate quarantine facility. Doctors have no reports of bites or scratches to monkey handlers at HRP Inc., in Alice, Texas, but are watching the employees carefully as a precaution, said state epidemiologist Dr. Diane Simpson. Federal experts diagnosed the illnesses as similar to the Ebola strain that decimated a Reston, Va.

In a new federal study that researchers say emphasizes the idea that people can get hooked on marijuana and provides a new way to test therapies, monkeys repeatedly dosed themselves with the main active ingredient of pot. Lab animals will actively dose themselves with most drugs abused by people, but marijuana has been an exception, said researcher Steven Goldberg of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Laboratory monkeys that started out as careless procrastinators became super-efficient workers after injections into their brains that suppressed a gene linked to their ability to anticipate a reward. The monkeys, which had been taught a computer game that rewarded them with drops of water and juice, lost their slacker ways and worked faster while making fewer errors.

As executive director of the St. Christopher Heritage Society, Jacqueline Armony wants to save the whales, promote medicinal-plant farming, restore the old Treasury Building and generally safeguard the treasures of this Caribbean nation. But even Armony draws the line at the vervet. In fact, the self-described environmentalist isn't the least bit troubled by what U.S. scientists are doing to the furry little monkeys just up the road.

With the Los Angeles Zoo to the north and the San Diego Zoo to the south, what does a smaller zoo like the Santa Ana Zoo do to compete? They get monkeys. Zoo officials hope "Monkey Island," a planned, 18,000-square-foot, open-air exhibit, will help bring the zoo to a new level of prominence and increase its attendance. "We think it's going to make a tremendous difference," zoo director Claudia Collier said. "I think it will increase recognition and draw more people to the zoo.

Two monkeys that had been part of a decade-long animal rights battle were put to death Friday hours after medical researchers received U.S. Supreme Court clearance to euthanize and experiment on them. The macaques Titus and Allen were among 17 monkeys confiscated by authorities from a Silver Spring, Md., lab in 1981 amid charges of cruelty.

A Soviet passenger in orbit is monkeying around with the equipment in his spacecraft, and experts said Wednesday that it may be necessary to end his scientific mission ahead of schedule. The passenger is a monkey, Yarosha--Russian slang for village troublemaker. According to Tass, the Soviet news agency, experts monitoring the flight on video screens noticed something was wrong when Yarosha's nameplate was missing from a cap fitted with electrodes.

A Van Nuys man accused of killing his girlfriend's beloved pet monkey out of jealousy often complained that the tiny creature got more attention than he did, the woman testified Friday. "I wish I got the attention the monkey got, I wish I got the love she got," Victoria Walker, 26, quoted James Mardis as saying.

A jury acquitted a man Thursday of animal cruelty charges, rejecting allegations that he killed his ex-girlfriend's beloved pet Capuchin monkey Amanda out of jealousy. "It's very bizarre, I just happened to meet the wrong person and make an error in judgment," a relieved but still shaken James Mardis said after the verdict was announced. "These are especially weird charges for someone to bring up against me because of my love for animals. I've always been an animal lover," he said.