So I retreated back to my vehicle and fired a third warning round out of the window, right next to the chimpanzee that was now about 30 meters from me,' Cussons told Good Morning America. 'Normally, this would chase any chimpanzees off that might be in attack mode but these two chimpanzees were highly motivated. The sanctuary's director fired two warning shots into the air to scare the chimps away from the man. The tourists were escorted to safety by staff members as the chimpanzees dragged Oberle out of their enclosure. He had crossed the first of two fences separating the chimpanzees from visitors and was standing close to the second fence, which is electrified, when the attack began. Oberle, an American researcher, was giving tourists a lecture at the sanctuary as part of his master's degree in Anthropology and Primatology, based at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The animals grabbed him by his feet and yanked him down the road, under a fence and into their enclosure at the Jane Goodall Institute Chimp Eden where paramedics were forced to wait for armed escorts before they could go in and treat him. One with the animals: In this undated photo Andrew Orbele poses one of his charges

In a case that mirrors that of Charla Nash, a Connecticut woman, who in 2009 had her face ripped off by a 200-pound chimp, Oberle suffered a ‘frenzied’ attack, in which he was bitten multiple times. when all is said and done, he's going to go right back into it.' 'Since he was a little boy he just loved them, and I just have faith that. Mary Flint added that her son knew the risks involved in working with apes, and said that the attack would probably not stop him carrying out further research. The 26-year-old's mother said that her son had been passionate about chimps since watching a documentary about famous naturalist Jane Goodall in seventh grade. He said they were calm and exhibiting remorse, which he said chimps show by behaving submissively. He said the two chimps that attacked Oberle had been isolated since the attack. Cussons said one of the chimps was injured in the scuffle, and he was awaiting a veterinarian's report to determine the nature and extent of the injury. Oberle was bitten repeatedly and dragged for nearly a kilometre (half mile). The student was left fighting for his life after the alpha males, named Nikki and Amadeus, pounced on him at the South African reserve where he was studying their behaviour.

Mr Oberle's uncle, Carl Oberle, described chimps as his nephew's 'passion' and said he knew each animal by its 'name and face.'Ĭussons said investigators would have to wait until Mr Oberle was well enough to provide more details about Thursday's attack.

He suffered large cuts to his head and face and his skull and facial bones were exposed.ĭoctors said Mr Oberle was in stable condition and in an induced coma to keep him comfortable. He underwent six hours of surgery on Sunday, with doctors cleaning and stitching up his wounds. The parents of the University of Texas at San Antonio anthropology graduate student flew to South Africa to visit their critically injured son at Mediclinic Nelspruit. Speaking out: Institute director Eugene Cussons said the chimps both had difficult upbringings before coming to the institute, and should be considered victims along with Oberle

Chimpanzee vs human bjj