Chimp ‘whisperer’ who has animals groom her in ‘creepy’ videos slammed for ‘illegally exhibiting them without a license’
PRESSURE is mounting on a woman who has spent years posting disturbing chimp content online to stop immediately and seek professional care for her beloved pet.
Aya Katz’s YouTube channel has multiple bizarre videos of her and chimpanzee Bow engaging in grooming rituals at her home in Licking, Missouri.
‘CREEPY VIDEOS’
Katz, 64, allows the burly primate to brush her hair and examine the skin on her hands, arms, and legs.
Some of the posts have received millions of views.
Animal rights campaigners PETA have been tracking Katz for “several” years and will send a fresh plea to the USDA next week urging them to take Bow away from her owner and place him in a professionally run sanctuary.
In a letter to the USDA in March 2023 seen by The U.S. Sun, PETA claims that former Texan lawyer Katz, who describes herself as an ape language researcher with a PhD in linguistics from Rice University, has monetized her YouTube channel via a membership option allowing people to access additional videos.
According to PETA attorney Brittany Peet, this is a clear violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act, which states that owners are not allowed to engage in any commercial activity, including exhibiting animals to the public, without a license.
“The videos she posts are creepy, and the fact remains that keeping a highly social, psychologically complex animal like a chimpanzee in solitary confinement is cruel and violates the Endangered Species Act,” Peet said.
“He deserves to be with others of his kind while he’s still alive, and she’s denied him that.”
NEED TO TAKE ACTION
PETA has already been successful in ensuring that Bow, as required by Missouri law, was at least registered with the county to ensure that if, for example, first responders were to respond to an emergency, they would be aware and ready to deal with a mature adult chimpanzee on the premises.
The U.S. Sun has seen letters from PETA to USDA clearly stating their displeasure of witnessing the chimp — on the US endangered species list — and his owner “continue to exhibit” Bow illegally.
VIOLATING LAWS
Peet says the USDA agreed Katz’s actions fall under regulated conduct because they issued her a citation for exhibiting illegally.
However, because a citation alone doesn’t include a fine or other penalties, PETA wants the governmental agency to launch a serious crackdown.
“If there are no real consequences, why would violators like Katz comply?” Peet said.
The U.S. Sun have contacted the USDA, but they have yet to reply.
“Per the USDA’s Animal Care Public Search Tool Katz does not hold any license from the USDA to authorize her exhibition of Bow,” wrote Peet’s colleague Molly Johnson in a letter to USDA last year.
“Katz thus appears to be openly violating the AWA, and PETA urges the USDA to investigate and hold Katz accountable for this apparent violation.”
In September 2023, the USDA wrote, in a report sparked by her activity on YouTube, that an officer visited Katz’s property twice and was not responded to on both occasions.
Further attempts to connect with her failed, ensuring an inspection and interview could not be conducted.
“We want to see Bo confiscated and placed in an accredited sanctuary where he can be with other species members,” added Peet. “He deserves to live a life that meets his instinctual needs, which he’s currently being denied.”
RECKLESS BEHAVIOR
Peet stresses that even if Katz did apply for an AWA certificate, “it might be challenging for her because the regulations for non-human primates are more stringent.”
“These are strong, powerful animals, so there are additional regulations regarding human interaction and containment,” she said.
“It’s hard to say if the USDA would grant her a license, but we would argue that she shouldn’t be eligible, especially considering how she keeps Bow and her reckless direct contact with him.”
The U.S. Sun was shown previously unreleased bodycam footage of a visit to the Missouri Primate Foundation, which has played a central role in the current HBO smash-hit documentary Chimp Crazy.
Peet detailed how keeping chimps in filthy living conditions away from their natural habitat can psychologically and physically damage them.
And the Michigan-based animal rights expert sees a similarly shocking tale unfolding in Katz’s situation.
“Chimpanzees are unique individuals with their own culture and instincts, which are different from humans,” she said. “They need to be in a large social group and interact with others of their kind. What she’s doing is driven by ego and selfishness.”
PETA wrote to Katz in June 2021 urging her to let Bow go to an accredited sanctuary to live a more natural life.
Chimpanzees that can’t live in nature need to be socialized with other chimps and kept in secure, spacious enclosures.
DANGEROUS ANIMALS
When chimpanzees are kept as pets, the psychological damage can make them violent – and lead to their death.
In 2021, a chimpanzee named Buck was shot dead by a law-enforcement officer after escaping from his enclosure and mauling his owner’s daughter.
In another well-known example, Travis — a chimp allegedly sold by the Missouri Primate Foundation to his owners and who featured in commercials and TV shows — horrifically maimed a woman before being shot dead by a local cop.
Bow is one of the last few chimpanzees in North America to be kept in isolation.
PETA has helped rescue 24 chimpanzees — including seven who, having been held in solitary confinement, were given the opportunity to live in a genuine sanctuary setting.
The U.S. Sun reached out to Katz, but she has yet to respond.