Free Republic

WELLINGTON, Fla. - The owner of a wildlife sanctuary was attacked by two cheetahs Saturday and hospitalized with about 40 puncture wounds to her extremities and back, authorities said. Judy Berens was airlifted to Delray Medical Center, but it appears she has non-life threatening injuries, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said. Berens owns and operates Panther Ridge Conservation Center, which provides homes for exotic cats, authorities said. She was conducting an exhibition with two male cheetahs in an enclosure when one became distracted by a ball being bounced outside, the sheriff's office said. The cheetah moved toward the ball...

Many Hollywood stars retire in the oasis of Palm Springs, California where they while away their golden years splashing paint on canvases, taking leisurely strolls, playing the piano, and flipping through the pages of magazines. Such is the life of 71-year-old Cheeta, the chimpanzee of Tarzan fame who celebrated his birthday a month ago. "He's the world's oldest chimp and in excellent condition," said Dan Westfall, who cares for Cheeta and several other retired showbiz primates at the Cheeta Primate Foundation in Palm Springs. Cheeta's "world's oldest" title is noted in the Guinness Book of World Records. Chimpanzees in the...