Chimpanzees are not pets.

Seriously. Not even a little. What's amazing about this story out of Vegas is that CJ the chimp escaped for the second time. Which means this happened before, the chimp was returned to its owners, and they let it happen again.

This isn't a condemnation of the owners for failing to provide the proper enclosure. It's a condemnation for having pet chimps in the first place.

CJ didn't do much damage: she wandered around close to where she was being kept. The last time she escaped, it was with her companion Buddy, who had to be put down during his July 12 rampage. CJ was taken down with tranquilizer darts.

This time, CJ was captured more easily. She's been transported to the North Las Vegas zoo, where she will still be living in captivity but ideally with better care.

And, of course, it could have been worse. Chimps are incredibly strong and can become violent. Just ask Charla Nash.

[Image via Shutterstock]