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ESSENTIAL DESTINATIONS
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MONTH: MAY 2006
1st chimp at Tacugama kills man, leads escape
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone–– Bruno, 20, the orphaned chimpanzee for whom Bala Amarasekaran founded the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in 1995, led 31 other chimps in an April 23 mass breakout, killing tourist driver Issa Kanu.
The three American passengers, in Sierra Leone to help build a new U.S. embassy about two miles from Tacugama, were reportedly flown to Atlanta for treatment of undisclosed injuries.
Reuters identified them as Gary Morris, Paul Gregory, and Donald Ford. Agence France-Press said they were Alan Robertson, Gary Brown, and Richie Goodie.
“The men are recovering gradually from shock and their wounds are no longer life-threatening,” a nurse told AFP.
Four chimps later returned to Tacu-gama. Five others were caught within 48 hours of the escape. Police and soldiers hunted the rest. About 40 to 50 other chimps remained in their enclosures at Tacugama, a 100-acre facility which has become the leading tourist attraction in Sierra Leone.
The incident reportedly began when Kanu took the visitors to Tacugama before the usual opening hour.
“According to zoo officials, citing survivors’ accounts, Bruno smashed the windscreen of the car which took the men to Tacugama,” Agence France-Press reported. “Kanu tried to drive the car away but crashed into the sanctuary gate.“ Bruno dragged Kanu from the car by his neck, bit off his extremities, and killed him with a facial bite.
Amarasekaran bought Bruno as an infant for $30, and named him after Frank Bruno, a British heavyweight boxer who fought Mike Tyson on the day of the deal.
Tacugama operates under the auspices of the Sierra Leone Conservation Society. It has never before had an escape, SLCS president Sama Banya said.
The escape paralleled the March 3, 2005 escape of two male chimpanzees named Buddy and Ollie from the Animal Haven Ranch sanctuary near Caliente, California. The chimps had apparently learned how to unlock their cage, unknown to Animal Haven Ranch operator Virginia Brauer.
Elsewhere on the property, St. James Davis, 62, and his wife LaDonna Davis, 64, of West Covina, had taken a birthday cake to Moe, 39, who lived for most of his life in a cage in their yard. He was moved to the Wildlife Waystation sanctuary east of Los Angeles in 1999 by the California Department of Fish & Game, and then transferred to the Animal Haven Ranch in 2004.
Taking the Davises by surprise, the escaped chimps reportedly bit or tore off St. James Davis’ nose, testicles, his left foot, and several fingers on both hands, as well as putting out one of his eyes. Mark Carruthers, Brauer’s son-in-law, shot both chimps, summoned police and medics, and provided first aid as instructed by the 911 dispatcher.
St. James Davis, hospitalized for six months, survived with help of an induced coma. The attack gave impetus to efforts to strengthen California laws restricting possession of exotic and/or dangerous animals, and governing supervision of animal sanctuaries.