Woman Has Faith in Chimps Despite Attack

March 7, 2005 — -- The wife of a man who is clinging to life after being mauled by two chimpanzees at a California animal sanctuary said that even after the vicious attack, she does not believe most chimps are dangerous.

St. James Davis, 62, sustained horrific injuries after being attacked by the chimps. Davis had part of his face ripped off, losing his nose, lips and right eye, said his wife. He also lost all of his fingers and part of his right foot and right hand.

LaDonna Davis, 62, told ABC News' "Good Morning America" her husband is hanging on "minute by minute," and doctors are just trying to keep his breathing constant.

She also said that despite the mauling, she still believes in the goodness of the chimps.

"Every animal, every being has good. That's what you have to bring out of them," she said.

The attack occurred when the Davises were visiting their beloved chimp, Moe, on his 39th birthday last Thursday at the Animal Haven Ranch, about 30 miles east of Bakersfield, Calif.

Moe was in the sanctuary after being removed from the Davises after biting a police officer in 1998 and a woman the following year.

By all accounts, the Davises loved Moe like a son -- they taught him to wear clothes, to take showers and to use the toilet, according to an article in the Los Angeles Times.

While the Davises were eating birthday cake with Moe, LaDonna Davis said she saw two other chimps approaching, and she knew they were in trouble. "When we made eye contact, the charge was on," she told "Good Morning America." "There was no stopping anything."

The two young male chimps, named Buddy and Ollie, had somehow escaped from their cages. They were shot to death by a sanctuary worker during the attack. Moe played no part in the attack.

Davis said that one of the chimps pushed her forward so she fell into her husband with her arm around his neck. She said the chimp then came around and "chomped off my thumb." Davis lost her entire left thumb in the attack.

Davis said her husband tried to save her by pushing her away. The chimps then jumped on him, she said, one at his head and one at his foot. Davis said that, unbelievably, her husband kept his composure during the attack.