Just WHY Do People Think They Can Keep Exotic Pets?

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Maybe many of you have heard this news story about a Connecticut woman who owned a "pet" chimpanzee who all of a sudden went on a crazed rampage. The 200 pound chimp, named Travis was fifteen years old and was even a "star" having appeared on some commercials. The owner, Sandra Herold, was to tell the police that the chimp suddenly went wild, left the home and began attacking a neighbor and friend of hers. The owner then trying to defend her friend, grabbed a butcher knife and stabbed it, then even hit it with a shovel. She then scrambled into her car locking herself in, while in horror she watched Travis the chimp continue to attack her friend. She made a desperate call to the police who then after some convincing no doubt that this wasn't a hoax type call (well would you believe someone telling you a chimp was mauling someone?) finally came...the owner urged the police to shot to kill Travis to save her friend. Now an animal is dead due to the FRICKING stupidity of a person who thinks owning a wild and exotic type of animal is "cute". Yes I feel sorry for the owner's friend, who suffered severe facial as well as other wounds, but what give the person the right to own such an animal to begin with? You can read the story here http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/18/pet-chimp-killed-in-rampage/ {Warning: This is NOT a referral link but a link to the article} This is NOT the first time something like this has happened. You still have idiots who insist in owning exotic cats, like tigers (there was an incident only last year, when someone in a Manhattan apartment had a tiger), but especially scores of incidents of people who own chimpanzees and other primates who have suddenly been attacked...it's been a known fact that many primates in particular can get moodier and more agitated as they get older. Though there is a hint that Travis was being treated for Lyme disease there are also reports that he was given Xanax a well known anti-anxiety medication....so like, duh? If he was already getting agitated in behavior enough to give him a medication, wasn't this like a ticking time bomb ready to go off? In another story I heard on the news, another factor might be that Travis was set off by of all things...a talking Elmo doll...like sheesh...Anything could have been the trigger that set him off. Still no IDIOT should be allowed to own an exotic pet of any kind--want a pet??..for crap sake settle for a dog, cat, or fish