The Little Rock Zoo

.The Little Rock Zoo needs to step up and care for the animals better! Please read the several artciles here with deaths, sickness and a bald chimp!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Gini Valbuena Who Has Owned Chimpanzees For Over 40 Years Will Not Allow Paternity DNA Test



Bradenton attorney Richard Buckle represents Virginia "Gini" Valbuena, who is the 11-month-old Eli's handler.
Published: Friday, January 22, 2010 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 10:51 p.m.
SARASOTA COUNTY - Eli the chimpanzee will be dressed in a diaper and fitted with a leash before he heads off to court today.


The 13-pound baby primate is at the center of an unusual custody battle in Sarasota County that has triggered some of the same emotions as a custody fight over a child.
The legal showdown centers on whether DNA from Eli should be tested to determine his parentage, similar to tests used in paternity cases.
A Missouri man is seeking to prove Eli's origin because he says Eli was born at the chimp farm he ran with his ex-wife during a bitter divorce proceeding.
If so, James "Mike" Casey says, the $65,000 chimp belongs to him and was taken from his property against a court order.
The local woman now caring for Eli, a handler named Virginia "Gini" Valbuena, counters that the chimp came from a wildlife park in California.
She says she is raising and training it for a Hollywood company. She and the chimp are living in the Sarasota area.
Valbuena says she must bring the chimp to court because it requires 24-hour care, and she cannot find a qualified chimp-sitter who is available at the time of the 11 a.m. court hearing.
Valbuena has promised that Eli will be calm in the courtroom and says that, despite his hairy body, huge ears and protruding mouth, no one would notice the difference between him and an 11-month-old baby "unless they looked closely."
As of Thursday, Circuit Judge Charles Roberts had not ruled whether Eli could come into the courthouse. Valbuena says she will try to bring him inside.

Mike Caseys Quote
"Casey's attorney argues that the DNA test should be allowed based on a Florida law usually used in family law cases.
Casey says numerous factors contribute to a good-faith belief that Eli is his: age, appearance, a prior business relationship between his ex-wife and Valbuena, and inconsistent statements in the media about the origin of the animal."

Source and full Story

ANOTHER STORY-
His owners are in a custody battle that revolves around his DNA. A man from Missouri claims he owns the infant primate, and that Eli was born at a chimp farm he ran with his ex-wife.
Photo Gallery: Chimpanzee caught in custody battle
A Sarasota woman, Virginia Valbuena, is caring for Eli and claims he came from a California wildlife park.
A chimp in the courtroom would not be the only unusual characteristic about the case. According to the Sarasota Herald Tribune, attorneys say there has not been another case in Florida involving the paternity of a chimpanzee.
The DNA test requires some saliva, which would be safe for the animal. If the test proves Eli does not belong to Casey, the case would be dropped.
Chimps are illegal to own as pets in Florida, unless the owner is a licensed professional exhibitor.
Source and more photographs














Poor Little Eli














Photograph of Gini Valbuena and Poor Little Eli
Gini Valbuena was once quoted years ago that she is addicted to Chimpanzees, however, she doesn't seem to keep them after the age of 5 years old. Where do they all go?

I can't believe that she was allowed to bring this poor little chimp into the court room, what a grand example of Exploitation, to say the least.
More photographs here

ANOTHER STORY- Look how sad he is! When a chimpanzee's top lip looks like Eli's does it means they are sad. I know this from when I owned my chimpanzees. When I would holler at one of them, their lips looked just like Eli's does here. So sad to me.














Published: January 22, 2010
Updated: 10:48 am
SARASOTA - A 13-pound baby chimpanzee is headed to court for a custody dispute in Sarasota.
Eli will be in court Friday for a hearing on whether DNA should be tested to determine where she was born.
James Casey of Missouri says Eli was born at his chimp farm he ran with his ex-wife during a bitter divorce proceeding. He says the chimp was taken from his property against a court order.
Casey's attorney argues that the DNA test should be allowed based on a Florida law usually used in family law cases.
But the attorney for the Florida woman now caring for Eli says the potential for fraud is off the charts, since the Florida Department of Revenue usually handles paternity tests.
Virginia Valbuena says the chimp came from a wildlife park in California.

Source


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