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Erin Conway-Smith/AP, file
Chimpanzees sit in an enclosure at the Chimp Eden rehabilitation center, near Nelspruit, South Africa in this Feb 2011 photo.
An American studying chimpanzee behavior in South Africa was “fighting for his life” after he was attacked by two of the animals, according to a report.
The chimpanzees dragged the man for more than a mile, under a fence and into their enclosure at Jane Goodall Institute Chimp Eden near Nelspruit, The Telegraph newspaper reported.
The paper said the victim of the attack had not been named. However, it said it understood he was a “young university student from the United States who had been observing the animals at the reserve for several weeks.”
Jeffrey Wicks, a spokesman for private ambulance firm Netcare911, told the Telegraph that witnesses said the man was leading a group of tourists when the attack happened.
"A ranger at a chimpanzee sanctuary near Nelspruit is fighting for his life after he was attacked by two frenzied animals while leading a tour group at the park this afternoon," he added. "According to eyewitnesses, two chimpanzees grabbed the man by his feet and pulled him under the perimeter fence and into the enclosure."
Armed escorts for paramedics
Paramedics needed armed escorts as they went in to treat the victim, NBC’s Rohit Kachroo reported. It was unclear whether this caused any delay.
The victim was stabilized at the scene and taken by ambulance to a private hospital in Nelspruit, NBC said. There have been no similar attacks at the reserve, which opened more than six years ago.
David Oosthuizen, Jane Goodall Institute executive director, confirmed the reserve was on lock down following the incident, The Telegraph said.
NBC's Meredith Vieira sits down with Charla Nash, who recently underwent a face transplant that's helped her regain the life she had before being brutally attacked by a chimp.
"We understand that the gentleman is stable and we really feel for him," he told the paper. "This has been very upsetting for everyone – it is just horrific. We are an organization that's respected worldwide for the work we do so anything like this is very bad."
Victim of chimpanzee attack shares progress, optimism
He added that some of the animals kept there had been abused before they were rescued and taken to the institute.
"These chimpanzees have six times the strength of a human being so you have to respect them and we certainly do," he said.
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Leave a Comment:
i wonder if eugene cussons and the rest of the folks that were on the show are still there, and were they at the facility when the chimps attacked? i wonder what chimps were involved also?
This is going to be devastating for research on Chimps and other primates in the future because of the precautions that will now be required to protect people from attacks.
I wonder if they planned to kill the man and eat him - something Chimps have been observed doing with 'outsider' Chimps.
Right out of a horror movie
I don't blame the paramedics for wanting an armed escort.
Well that was certainly a up close study of the vicious basta*ds behavior. Still can't figure why people want to sit around studying a monkey.
Chuck and Susie. Who cares???????????
Folks need to remember that these are wild animals, and they don't eff around. Hope the dude recovers
Why are we still studying these things. I believe we've learned everything we need to know.
I hope he recovers but these are indeed wild animals and people seem to often forget this. Chimps have 6 times the strength of a human being. That alone should be a warning.
I think that no matter how much training is done, messing about with chimps has been proven to be dangerous at best. Any cause isn't furthered by pushing the limits and allowing folks to see, on a daily basis, that those working with chimps push the limits. Working with aminals, theatrically, has been around for a long, long time but what some don't remember is back in the day most of the animals were drugged off their arses- no animal protection against such then.
Also, given that chimps aren't stupid, they see what's done to others in the bush by man and may be learning to hit first before being hit.
First of all Chimps are NOT MONKEYS. They are APES and they are extremely dangerous. They are without human conscience AND have enormous strength. While we have much to learn from them, we must never forget they are WILD ANIMALS. I am sorry this happened and pray for a speedy recovery.
Okicize Wicasa Yata Pi......chimps are not "monkeys", they are apes. One reason to study them would be that no creature on earth is genetically more similar to us they they are.
Agree. We're not talking Tarzan and Cheetah here ya know...
He should have carried a weapon.
Just what did the Chimps do? how much damage did they inflict on the victim, they drug him for a mile ? looks as though they had some intentions, Terrorist Chimps hold student hostage. I hope they didn't do to much damage to the young man, this sounds as though it could be very bad. like being mugged by 12 men. he was singled out and taken from a group, this is strange! did he do something to provoke the attack?
Leave the @!$%#ing wildlife in the wild, studying their behaviour for what? We've been studying them for decades, I'm sure you have enough Data. Are you planning to coexist with them or something?NO So leave those beast alone in the wild where they belong. Humans always asking for trouble.
That really is so strange, that he was holding a tour at the time, so they literally did single him out of everyone, I would think one chip would attack one person, while the other attacks another, etc. Especially, them going for the person that they were probably the most familiar. If there nature is attacking/eatting outsider chimps, you would think this guy wasnt relaly the outsider, but the people doing the tour were. Hmm. Strange. I wonder also, how long this guy was working with these chimps for.... but cant blame the chips like others have stated they ARE wild animals!
They aren't just things and they are intelligent. Who knows why it happened? If they had been abused before I can see how they would be upset, too. Seriously, humans do things like that to each other all th time, and sometimes just in sport. Why get worked up that chimps would do it? I hate it for the young man of course and I wish him the best, but these aren't people and they follow instinct and act on experience. I think animals are done with humans in many cases and I sure can't blame them considering what humans have to their habitats, their families, and them. No, they aren't human, but they are living creatures who deserve to be treated with respect.
@trollslayer:
0/10. You fail.
If you are going to drag politics into this for trolling, please be more creative. I have seen better trolls and this is coming from a green belt in Troll-fu.
If you (or others) are serious that this has political motives: Then there is no hope for humanity. Might as well throw in the towel and go the way of the dinosaurs.
Actually, Chimps look a lot like little gorillas. I wouldn't trust one as far as I could throw it.
When are people going to learn that wild animals are just that...wild! Let them live freely in their own habitat instead of under our microscope. What more do we need to learn from them? I sure hope that man survives and I hope that this is a wakeup call - leave them be. I'm sure it won't be though....
We've been abusing animals for generations...some in the name of science and other weak and sick people abuse animals because it makes them feel powerful and in control.
These chimps were just getting their licks in where they can. They will probably pay for that behavior with their lives.
I've got a neighbor who favors Chickadees over the wide spread of yard birds we have here in Oregon's Willamette Valley. The native Blue Jays in this area tend to bully the much smaller Chickadees.....So every year during nesting season....I found out my neighbor goes through the large Laurel Hedge that seperates our property, and he looks for, and when he finds any Blue Jay nests....and drowns any baby Blue Jays he finds.
It really ticked me off. We put food out and feed these yard birds. When I found out what he was during I told him to knock it off. Those aren't his birds to exterminate. I told him their territories overlap into other yards like my own, and I asked who died and made him god as if he had a right to decide Blue Jays must be exterminated!
Besides that....I told him it's against the law to harm almost any native yardbirds. Most native species are protected under the "Migratory Bird Treaty Act" and have been protected for years. I told the neighbor if I catch him drowning baby birds again I'll have a fish and wildlife officer pay him a visit faster than he can say "Chickadee's rule."
I sort of hope the Blue Jays pull an Alfred Hitchcock's, "The Birds" on my neighbor and he'll be found lifeless in his yard with his eyeballs pecked out.....I don't even know how someone could drown baby birds.....ANY baby birds. Must make him feel tough!!!
Anyway...that's my take on these animal on human attacks....."Sweet Revenge."
This is just like the guy and his girlfriend who thought they could be friends with Grizzly bears and were both killed. They are animals people. These chimps gouge your eyes out, pull your hands off etc. We all know that what has happened before.
Unless I was armed and accompanied by another armed person, I wouldn't go in there with them.
Why are they guiding tourists into this supreme area-----Chimps too have a right to live and right to their own privacy. If I were a chimp I too may feel threatened and attack in response! Isn't it interesting that this guide/researcher was dragged to a safe spot---under Ms. Goodall's porch. They were sending a message but ignorant humans don't get the message!
How stupid to bring tourists into such. Have they failed to reseach and become of Ms. Goodall's time and patience.
TOURISTS SHOULD BE BANNED FROM SUCH EXPENDITURES for they cause more stress on innocence and deserve whatever they get.
Do the research no more is needed! And evidently these chimps illsutrated such by dragging this young man to Ms. Goodall property---possibly to show this young man that they have been watched, studied and documented which much more care then he evidently offered!
I bet it's like dogs (or people for that matter). There are probably some you never have to worry about but then there are those others......
This is what happens when people look at wild animals with what I call the "Disney complex." These animated films portray all animals as thinking, loving, funny, huggable creatures. Grow up, people. Kindness and affection (on a human level) don't exist within the animal kingdom... instinct and protectiveness do, which are misinterpreted as something else.
Kill these chimps.....NOW.
Ray: Catch him alone when no one's watching. Don't leave DNA.
Sillyshrinks, have you ever done real research? I mean more than writing a paper in high school (or maybe college). Continued research on things that you apparently think have already been studied enough is how we are continuing to make discoveries and improve the world. This guy has been there for months with no problems. Things happen and animals behave unexpectedly. You would know this if you have ever had interaction with people and/or animals in real life and not just on the internet.
Screw you for saying this was his fault. Why don't you go tell his mom and all of us who are his friends that he shouldn't have been doing his work?
Bottom line, DON'T GO NEAR WILD ANIMALS WITHOUT MAXIMUM PROTECTION. That guy should have had a gun on him. It's just stupid to go near those animals especially when many of those chimps were abused by people in the past.
chipsamoy25
Just say anywhere south of Madison Avenue outside downtown or beyond Western Ave lol
Know a man for forty years, sharing every meal with him, and speak on every subject. Then hold him over the volcano, and on that day you will know the man. Not an exact quote, but close enough. How can we possibly know everything about animals when we don't understand ourselves. I've kept people from getting hurt, only to have them turn on me for no reason. These abused chimps are unpredictable, just like humans. As for GWBs intelligence compared to the Democrats who preceeded him, and followed him. They are two very high students who achieved the highest honors. Bush was a C student. Not a good argument for him being smarter. But, he was born with a silver spoon, as the saying goes. As for animals, I've petted animals that people told me were dangerous. On other occassions, nobody had to tell me that an animal was dangerous. The hardest animals to understand are people.
The same thing could have happened to him on a street in Miami... hopefully this chimp didn't eat his face.
sillyshrinks....they do it to raise money so that they can continue the research ! By getting wealthy tourists interested and involved, they develop benefactors for their programs.
I have many questions about this. First and foremost WHY are the animals not sufficiently separated from the people. Generally they are. Or, did these Chimpanzee's escape from an enclosure? If you have ever watched Cusson, at his center there was always a separation between humans and the animals.... Especially at a Jane Goodall center, why were the animals allowed to get so close to humans. Chimpanzee's can be the most violent among all the Primates...... And, they are extremely strong, when they are upset.
@trollslayer: I must agree with Rabid Cheese Monkey; although you had many of the key characteristics we look for a troll:
- Baseless / pointless accusation
- Includes other people that have absolutely nothing to do with this thread
- Potential to elicit meaningless responses and hijack the discussion
It lacked the ability to pivot the conversation. As Rutherford put it so well in Risky Business, "You've done some solid work, but it's just not Ivy League now, is it?"
puts us in our place...in terms of strength, sight, and hearing we are at the low end...however with intelligence we rank #1 unfortunately don't really use it that well...lack or respect , safety protocols, and awareness may have been the cause. hope he makes it
1.16 deleted, trollslayer with a one-line 'bush's fault' derail. Useless, damages the conversation. Don't do that.
You're suspended for a day for violating #4 of the Code of Honor.
Followups to the derail deleted. The politics section is right here.
@tyler: bravo - I am impressed.
Now back to our regularly scheduled message; it always concerns me to see folks take wild animals for granted. Obviously, this ranger did not and just goes to show the rest of us that if it can happen to a professional, it can happen to anyone. I sincerely hope that he pulls through with no permanent damage.
Just more evidence that verifies that humans and chimps are closely related not just on a genetic basis but also on a behavioral basis.
Why people continue to mess with the damn chimps? Leave them alone and shoot them up if they get too close.
Planet of the Apes comments in 3...2...1...
.....FAIL
"Get your hands off me you damn, dirty, monkey, er I mean ape!"
He found out their secret: they were actually super intelligent, and were simply mooching off humans... that's why he had to die...
It was sexual the one Chimp has Sanduskies eyes.
they were afraid their entitlements were going to be cut because of the growing number of chimps living on the system.
will the abusive chimps be ordered to anger management counselling?
Planet of the apes indeed! If this poor guy survives after being dragged for a mile and pulled under a fence, I think it is possible he may just want to change his major. Something tells me he is likely to lose interest in studying chimpanzees.
really hate monkeys....
not monkeys - great apes, just like homo sapiens - almost identical, actually, our DNA matches chimps about 99%.
Chimps are extremely strong and must be aggressive at times to survive in the wild. They certainly have it built into them. They often kill and eat weaker primates in the wild. Guess what - men are weaker primates.
Just match certain people lol.
uh mailman...similar is not identical....I don't see any significance that since they share some characteristics with man that somehow makes them the same family. Scientists just keep gathering ape skeletons as proof but they are still ape skeletons. Thus I also feel,as some here do, that way too much study and funding has gone into this hopelessly dead end subject.
Dave, you have the right to feel that way of course, but "feel" is a good word to use. The idea here is to gather data and think, not feel, about the similarities and differences. It isn't hopeless nor dead end, and it isn't just sharing some characteristics so big deal.
They are our cousins, removed quite a few times though.
Uhhh, mailman: the genetic similarity is 94% and keeps going down as more of the chimp genome is mapped. Even at 6% difference, which sounds close, involves over 90 million differences.
Wally: yes we all got that indoctrination in grade school, we don't need you to remind us of your blind faith, irregardless of the fact that there is no scientific evidence for macroevolution. Thanks for being a team player though. Your confidence in the theory exceeds that of whom you trust.
mailman8
That's really quite meaningless considering our DNA matches a mouse's 97.5% of the time.
If that is true then why aren't Apes evolving into man today? what about the missing link? if man evolved from apes then their had to be a outside influence. some thing altered the species, Neanderthal suddenly appeared then homosapeain arrived out of nowhere, something happened but what? is there a connection or just a similarity maybe your ancestors were apes but mine were put here. have you ever heard of divine intervention, evolution or gene splicing? they both exist, something other than nature.
mailman8,
"not monkeys - great apes, just like homo sapiens - almost identical, actually, our DNA matches chimps about 99%."
And it seems both species are equally violent.
DBuck: Missing link-space traveler
D Buck, man didn't evolve from apes. Humans are members of the great ape family, with the common ancestor of all modern humans appearing about 200,000 years ago with the divergence from the last common ancestor between hominids and the rest of the apes, occurring between 4 and 8 million years ago.
Wretched, the similarity depends on which study you look at. The range of genetic similarity runs between 98.4% and 94% and we already have complete human and chimp genomes. This similarity is very misleading, since we have found that who and what we are is so much more than just DNA. Much of what we are and aren't depends on which genes are turn on and off and when they are turned on and off.
If the DNA is so similar and the size of a chimp is not that much different then a human, how can they generate 6 times the strentgh?! Incredible.
Racist.
They also cannibalize, so clearly their attacks are indiscriminate and unpredictable.
4 deleted, takenosheet with their second comment ever:
First one wasn't much better. Banned, garbage posting.
3.14 deleted, alan290 with a derail about downtown Chicago, thankfully without generalizations about the residents.
Tyler, way to go! Get the trolls!
Crying, this is something we have learned fairly recently, thanks to continuing chimp research and observation.
Eugene Cusssons, Phillp and Marc Cronje are still at the sanctuary. Eugene was indeed instrumental in ensuring the safety of the vistors and retrieval of the victim.
...but not the safety of the victim unfortunately
Is the chimp OK ??
Very funny.
Not!
You'd be pizzzed also if you had people gauwking at you all day.
Certainly hope so. It would be a shame if this magnificent creature had been harmed!
The chimp was heard saying " DON'T MESS WITH MY ENTITLEMENTS".
Watch out i heard the ape was hiring a lawyer because his civil rights have been violated.lolol
The chimp said that he was practicing his 'stand your ground' rights
HOTTICKET
What about the young girl who was harmed?
Sorry, I meant young man.
Eugene Cussons is still very much involved at Chimp Eden and was instrumental along with the staff at Chimp Eden in securing the safety of the tour group and rescuing the victim. As Eugene has said in the past you must always remember chimpanzees are wild animals. And most of these chimps were rescued from abuse by the hand of humans.
On the show Eugene is on, they don't physically interact with the chimps unless they are tranquilized. I'm curious why/how a tour group was exposed to this contact.
@Micheleshdwfx
Sounds like he got too close to the fence and they reached under and grabbed him. I doubt there was any intentional physical interaction.
One of my favorite t.v. shows is Orangatan Island. The Orangs are ususally orphans or wounded and they are rehabilitaed and set free. I think humans study and research because they are doing what they love to do and I think the head Scientist on Orangatan Island has one of the coolest jobs on the planet........I adore Orangs!! If we do not help our wildlife we will loose it....
Orangutans are awesome. Right turn Clyde!
Wonder if there is a chimp spray, like the kind for grizzly bears. Ah heck, I wouldn't go anywhere in Africa without a machine gun and large machete.
Yes, a 44 magnum with hollow point bullets
LouK2K2k12 - I see you have not left this country since you were born. Leave mama's lullaby and go see the world. Africa is not the documentary you see. As you have poor people and poor places, dangerous zoo, rich folks and the likes in America, so also is Africa. Stop writing uninformed lines. Okay?
I am an international and i have been rudely shocked at the degradation of your place. America is a facade.
You're an international douche bag!
I'm pretty sure bear spray would work just fine on a chimp! It probably works on Internationals too :)
From what I have seen on Chimp Eden--Eugene uses a canister with compressed air and if that doesn't work they can use a pepper spray. I start out every day by watching his show and am very impressed with his work. Just seeing the way the smaller ones interact with each other is amazing. I feel very bad for the poor victim--but possibly he was too close to the fence which is electric on the chimp side. After all above all else they ARE wild and most have some type of abuse in their history.
Int'l
Well I certainly am not going to apologize for America. I'm sure there are some nice places in S. Africa and maybe even a few decent places along the southeast coast of Africa. Outside of those areas, please educate me as to the bastion of cultural enlightenment that is Africa. Should I be dining in Somalia, hiking in Burkina Faso, Safariing through the Congo jungles? I'm sure Africa is beautiful, but the people, at least north of S. Africa, are my personal determent from visiting. That goes for parts of the Middle East, parts of Asia, South America, Detroit , Chicago (j/k, I'd visit during the day), etc... Oh, and our poor people have cell phones, our homeless have access to food if they absolutely need it (and also have cell phones), and we provide medical and food aid to many nations across the globe; including many in Africa. I'm tired of foreigners disparaging my country and not only do other posters not defend their homeland, they apologize and join in with the criticism (though not on this particular thread surprisingly). You're not going to see that from me; if you don't like the way we do things, piss off and you're welcome.
Haha!
@ Janice, we are just kidding around. No offense to your favorite show.
Int'l: NEVER bet against the Americans...............
Can't we just get rid of all chimps?
Int'l: I have been all over this planet except for Antarctica, Middle East countries and Africa. You couldn't pay me to go to Africa. It is not even on my bucket list.
openwater, you're suspended for a day for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
Janice- I also have watched this show daily, so I do know that Eugene always practiced safety first and constanty reminded the audience of the danger involved...
Also, FYI-This sanctuary was not used for "studying" chimps, it is for rescuing, rehabilitating, etc with hopes of releasing them back into he wild.
Wild animals. When will people learn to leave them be and stop trying to make them pets, zoo animals, or research buddies.
So you would rather they get killed in the wild by poachers.
When are these idiots going to learn that these are WILD animals. That is why they are called wild.
They are not the chimps of the movies and they are very protective of their personal space.
It doesn't matter how intelligent, cute, cuddly, or human these people think they are, they are first and foremost a Wild animal.
What does a wild animal do if it thinks it is being threatened, and it only matter if THEY think it, it will attack.
What do you think this guy was doing?? Freaking cuddling with the chimps? No. I know him and I know for a fact that he respected the fact that they are wild animals, he never treated them like a cuddly pet. They are intelligent individuals and he appreciated them for all that they are. So until you know how the accident actually happened calm down on the bold font. You just look ignorant and rude.
Steven - Your comment should be reserved for the morons who dress chimps up in diapers and let them run loose in their 4 bedroom ranch home.
The man who was attacked was a researcher.
Sometimes researchers and "keepers" are the worst offenders in terms of letting their guard down. If the first time you approach a rescued wild animal you're prepared for the worst, you should continue to stay at the same level of preparation the 100th time you approach them.
DAMN DIRTY APES.... Look daddy those chimpanzees are so cute and frie... (ahhhh)"Oh crap they are ripping my face and arm off". Weird that wild animals act WILD? People are STUPID
My thoughts and prayers go out to the young man who was injured. In his short stay at this compound, he was still a stranger to those chimps. Why wasn't a regular long-time staff member taking visitors on the tour instead?
So it gradually comes out that chimpanzees really ARE dangerous and should be LEFT ALONE IN THE WILD!.
These are rescued chimps. The folks at Chimp Eden didn't take them out of the wild.
Exactly. You know how mean some rescued dogs are, after years of abuse? Now give that "dog" 6 times your strength... not a good combo.
If you read the article properly you would see that many of these primates are taken from places of abuse and were usualy captive this is a large factor in why they are not released or wild as you say! The worrying factor for me is the obvious lack of security in the fence?
So this was not J Fred Muggs in a suit and tie?
Some of you people need to quit monkeying around! It's obvious the chimps either went bananas or apesh!t... Wait, bananas is apesh!t...
Oh, and I'll beat you to it, I'm classless and heartless... there!
So, they didn't have the bottom of the fences "secure" enough that a powerful animal like this would not be able to compromise it ? I thought this was an expert institute ?
Those damn, dirty apes. Charlton Heston was right.
My understanding is that chimps are cute until about 3, then they can get mean and are extremely strong. I have no doubt that the people working with the animals know this. I'm sure they need the money that tourists bring. You wont see me around them. I'll look at pictures thank you.
We need to ban Chimps!
Jesus, how about just leaving the damn animals ALONE; they'll be fine, it's the human race that needs "saving"...
Sounds like Oosthuizen is more concerned about the organization's reputation than he is about the young man's life.
Lesson number one: when around chimps, carry a .44 magnum so you can blow their ugly little heads off.
If you need to.
Chimps are as dangerous as Pit Bulls. The chimps that did this should be killed or they will do it again. The trouble is that some people place more Value on a monkeys life than a Humans. Kill the Damned things and get it over with. I wonder if this guy still has his face. It seems these things always chew off the face.
and fingers...Can't imagine the horror of that.
But Tarzan, don't you live with these guys? This isn't like you....
I never seen you aggressive towards any animal. :-)
Tarzan Civilized. OOM GOWWAH.
Set the chimps free and kill the poachers.
I chewed off my finger once!
Tarzan, you're right, this will not be the last attack if the chimps are left alive.
So yesterdays Chimp on Chimp attack is old news but attack one white woman and we'll be hearing about this for weeks.
Ma Courie, the victim was a male. Maybe you should read the darn story before making your stupid comments.
He picked the wrong day to wear banana scented aftershave.
You earned the chuckle award for the day!