![]() The sanctuary's manager, Eugene Cussons, fired into the air to scare the chimps away from Oberle, then chased them back into their enclosure. Oberle lost part of an ear and parts of his fingers in the attack, according to the South African newspaper Beeld. "We have never had an incident like this, and we have closed the sanctuary to investigate how we can ensure it will not happen again." 'The safety of our visitors and staff is paramount.'-David Oosthuizen, Chimpanzee Eden's executive director "The safety of our visitors and staff is paramount," Oosthuizen said. The sanctuary was temporarily closed after the attack, said David Oosthuizen, the institute's executive director. Oberle, who was doing research at the sanctuary, had crossed the first of two fences separating the chimpanzees from visitors and was standing close to the second fence, which is electrified, at the time of the attack, said Edwin Jay, chairman of the Jane Goodall Institute South Africa. ![]() He was in critical condition Friday after undergoing surgery at the Mediclinic hospital in Nelspruit, 300 kilometres from Johannesburg, hospital officials said. The 26-year-old anthropology student at the University of Texas at San Antonio suffered "multiple and severe bite wounds," Wicks said. Oberle was giving a lecture to a group of tourists at the Chimpanzee Eden sanctuary when two chimpanzees grabbed his feet and pulled him under a fence and into their enclosure, said Jeffrey Wicks of the Netcare911 emergency services company. Chimpanzees at a sanctuary in South Africa founded by famed primatologist Jane Goodall pulled a Texas graduate student into their fenced-off enclosure on Thursday, dragging him nearly 800 metres and biting his ear and hands.Īndrew F.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |