Savage nature: chimps

Carnivorous violence amongst our fellow primates:

A man who was severely mauled by two chimpanzees at a sanctuary last week was quickly overwhelmed when the apes attacked — despite his attempts to "reason" with the crazed animals, his wife said yesterday.

"One was at his head, one was at his foot. But all that time . . . he was trying to reason with them," LaDonna Davis told "Good Morning America."

Davis, 64, and her husband, St. James Davis, 62, were visiting Animal Haven Ranch on Thursday when two chimps escaped their enclosure and attacked.

"The male came around from behind and chomped off my thumb, LaDonna Davis said. "My husband must have realized we were in deep trouble because he pushed me backward. At that time, they both went for him."

St. James Davis, 62, lost all the fingers from both hands, an eye, part of his nose, cheek, lips and part of his buttocks in the ferocious attack, his wife said over the weekend on NBC's "Today" show.

He was being treated at Loma Linda University Medical Center, where doctors said his condition was "minute-by-minute," his wife said yesterday.

"Right now, what they are trying to do is keep his breathing constant," she said. "That's all they can tell me, but I told him that he can't leave me. He has to be strong."

The chimps were shot and killed during the attack.

Just more evidence that violence is natural.

In the news:

Mauled man tried to 'reason' with chimps during attack, wife says

Husband stepped in to save wife in brutal California chimp attack

Anatomy of ape assault

Gruesome chimp attack doesn't surprise experts

LaDonna Davis details attack by 2 chimpanzees

Cuddly They're Not: Chimps like the ones that attacked man are very strong, can be violent

Davis Family faces serious challenge after chimpanzee attack

Around the Blogosphere:

Chimps Attack!!

When chimps attack

Chimp Party Crashers Go For Nuts

Chimps fail reasoning 101

Holy crap! Chimps attack and critically injure couple

Apes Go Themselves!

Chimp Attack Update: "He Was Trying To Reason With Them"

Monkeys are always funny. Almost.