Posted on 03/04/2005 5:58:32 AM PST by KidGlock
Chimps Shot Dead After Attacking Visitors At California Sanctuary
POSTED: 8:08 am EST March 4, 2005
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A couple's plans for a birthday party for their former pet chimpanzee turned tragic when two other chimps at an animal sanctuary escaped from their cage and attacked. The man was critically injured with massive wounds to his face, body and limbs, and the attacking animals were shot dead.
St. James and LaDonna Davis were at the Animal Haven Ranch in Caliente to celebrate the birthday of Moe, a 39-year-old chimpanzee who was taken from their suburban Los Angeles home in 1999 after biting off part of a woman's finger.
Moe was not involved in Thursday's attack, said Steve Martarano, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Game.
The couple had brought Moe a cake and were standing outside his cage when Buddy and Ollie, two of four chimpanzees in the adjoining cage, attacked St. James Davis, Martarano said. Officials have not determined how the chimps got out of their enclosure, he said.
LaDonna Davis, 64, suffered a bite wound to the hand while trying to help her 62-year-old husband, Martarano said.
The son-in-law of the sanctuary's owner killed the attacking animals, Martarano said.
"He saw what was happening and had one kind of weapon with him and then got another he felt would be more substantial and shot them," Martarano said. "He pretty much saved a life."
St. James Davis had severe facial injuries and would require extensive surgery in an attempt to reattach his nose, Dr. Maureen Martin of Kern Medical Center told KGET-TV of Bakersfield. His testicles and a foot also were severed, Kern County Sheriff's Cmdr. Hal Chealander told The Bakersfield Californian.
Davis was transported to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he was undergoing surgery late Thursday, Martarano said.
Buddy, a 16-year-old male chimp, initiated the attack and after he was shot, Ollie, a 13-year-old male, grabbed the gravely injured man and dragged him down the road, authorities said.
"Everybody was trying to get the chimp off," Chealander said.
Two other chimps, females named Susie and Bones, also escaped from the cage they shared with Ollie and Buddy, prompting sheriff's deputies, animal control workers, and Fish and Game officials to launch a search.
The wayward pair were recovered by Animal Haven owner Virginia Brauer after five hours. Martarano said one chimp was two miles from the sanctuary, located 25 miles southeast of Bakersfield.
The Davises had waged an unsuccessful legal fight to bring Moe back to their West Covina home and visited him regularly at the sanctuary where he had been living since October. They brought the chimp from Africa decades ago after a poacher killed his mother.
Animal Haven Ranch has held state permits to shelter animals since 1985 and serves as a sanctuary for animals that have been confiscated or discovered lost, Martarano said.
It is allowed to house up to nine primates at one time and is home to one spider monkey and six chimpanzees, he said. The permits are held by Virginia and Ralph Brauer, whom neighbors described as responsible animal lovers.
"She's devoted her whole life to taking care of these chimpanzees," said Jeanne Miller, a family friend.
Just thinking of your old tag line. It always brought a smile to my lips.
(no)
I'm not sure it's because "our muscles" aren't as strong, but it's true that overall we're not nearly as strong as other primates our size. A 200-pound chimpanzee is *far* stronger than a 200-pound human. Part of it is that the chimp's muscles attach farther from the joints than ours do, making for more muscle leverage.
I can't find a reference to it at the moment, but I once read of a zoo that had a bar in their chimp cage attached to a spring scale, to measure the chimp's strength. One day one of the chimps got especially ticked off and with one hand yanked the handle to a pull of nearly 1000 pounds.
I can feel horrified and sorry for this misguided couple and at the same time not deliberatly ignore facts.
The animal they were visiting had in fact been involved in harming a human before. They were not ignorant of the nature of chimpanzees but chose to ignore it. They had wanted to bring back to their home the pet they had been forced to give up. If they had somehow had this animal in their home it could have escaped and harmed or killed other people.
I feel badly for them, but I think they were more than very foolish and evidently had little regard for the welfare of people over animals.
A couple years ago at one of Rolf Anderson's Bay Area MEMS Journal Club meetings I heard with mine own ears a researcher discuss using MEMS strain gages to measure the strength of individual muscle fibers. He made the 1/10 as strong comment as if it was an "everybody knows" fact.
No one challenged it, and there were a few knowing nods among the other biotech types in attendance.
Holy smokes. The chimpanzee ripped off the guy's foot, nose and testicles. I was aware chimps are violent, but I had no idea.
While in the USAF I saw a chimp eat up two vet techs and beat up several of us trying to subdue him. I wished I had a pistol that day.
I guess they are practically human after all...
Bob, cool kitty!
I have to scan the pic of Mimi.
Gotta fight with the scanner, gotta gotta gotta..
I think the correct translation is: ...as they did with this no-nuts who brought a birthday cake to a dangerous wild beast.
I'm only stating that the guy deserves a bit more empathy because he's seriously hurt and because regardless of his prior actions (keeping a chimp) he was harmed by totally different animals with which he had no involvement.
Note that I did NOT say 'his intentions were good' although I'm sure they were - that's not a defense.
THAT said, I'd be pretty upset if someone tried to shut down the refuge because of this. Stuff happens when you mix people and animals and, other than simply offing every ugly or hungry critter we see, someone has to take care of the furry jetsam the rest of us create.
OK, I might buy into the Jocko theory.
I haven't read all the replies in the thread, but the radio just said that the chimps bit off his nose, face, and TESTICLES. Yikes.
>>Monkeys are funny<<
Why did I laugh when I read that?
Years ago, on the set of a Tarzan movie, the actor playing the title role (Denny Miller?) had his chin practically ripped off by the lead chimp, who tore at his face with a single bite. The actor successfully sued the producers and studios for negligence and unsafe working conditions
They fight dirty...
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