Arjun with His Chimpanzee Mira, Great Royal Circus, Gujarat, India, 1989
(catalog number 401S-627-009)

I MET Arjun at the Great Royal Circus in India. He was a great chimpanzee trainer. Mira was one of his favorite chimpanzees. She loved him very much and was extremely protective of him, as you can see in this photograph.

This picture has special significance for me because right after I took it, Mira bit my hand. I think she was jealous of all the attention I was getting from Arjun. He loved to have his picture taken. He was proud of his work and wanted me to photograph him with each of his chimpanzees. Right after taking Arjun and Mira's picture, I went to shake Arjun's hand and thank him. Suddenly, there were Mira's big flat teeth biting my hand. I was very surprised that she bit me. I immediately went to a doctor, who dressed the wound. He suggested a rabies shot. Later I asked Arjun if I should get the shot. He was so insulted at the suggestion that his beautiful Mira would have rabies he nearly cried, and I never mentioned it again.

Arjun was one of the first people I saw the next year when I returned to the Royal Circus. He was sitting beside the huge training cage where he worked with his chimpanzees. Mira was inside the cage, and she waved to me in a friendly manner. Arjun said, "See, Mary Ellen? She's forgiven you. She wants to be your friend. Go and shake her hand." As I approached the cage to shake Mira's hand, I noticed that she took a strange position with her butt up in the air at the back end of the cage. I was just about to put my arm inside the cage to shake hands when I saw her running directly at me. I realized she was charging me. She wanted my arm and my hand to bite again. I quickly jumped back from the cage and avoided her attack.

She was so furious. She screamed and jumped up and down for several minutes. Arjun had to enter the cage to calm her down. He looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. Now I understand why most of the chimpanzee trainers I have met over the years are missing fingers. Never trust a chimp.