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Chimp-Mauling Victim Returns Home
St. James Davis (pictured before attack, right), who was visiting Moe -- a chimp who used to live with Davis and his wife -- at Animal Haven Ranch when two other chimps attacked, returned home Tuesday afternoon.
Davis, 62, underwent a series of surgeries since the attack. In June, doctors took him out of an induced coma and removed his breathing tube to speed his recovery.
"He's come a long way in what I consider to be a very short time," wife LaDonna Davis said Tuesday. "In reality, when this first happened, I thought this would take a lot longer than six months. He has a long way to go.
"Actually, he was over the threshold of dying. Doctors told me to make final arrangements."
While Davis was celebrating Moe's 39th birthday with his wife at Animal Haven Ranch, two other male chimps escaped their cages. They chewed off most of his face, tore off his foot and attacked his limbs and genitals.
LaDonna Davis, 64, also was attacked, but her injuries were not as severe. She visited Loma Linda Medical Center every day.
LaDonna Davis said the bacteria had entered St. James Davis' blood supply. She said he had difficulty getting air to his lungs for more than one week.
The first surgery, which included three teams of three doctors, took about 12 hours, LaDonna Davis said. Davis said her husband will undergo two surgeries next week.
"I would like to thank Loma Linda Hospital, their staff and everyone involved with the care for giving St. James back to me," she said in a statement. "We have been through a lot together, and this hospital has met the challenge to make him the best that he can be. I know there will be a need for future surgeries to give my husband the best quality of life that he can be given.
"We are not finished with our life together, and our affection for each other."
LaDonna Davis said her husband was not sure what happened when he regained consciousness.
"He thought he was in a bombing in San Diego," she said. "He didn't have any short-term memory. It took a while for him to finally catch on to certain aspects."
The two chimps, which each weighed more than 130 pounds, were immediately shot and killed.
Moe was not involved in the attack. The adult male, who weighs nearly 170 pounds, was taken from the Davis' home in 1999 after maiming a police officer and biting off part of another woman's finger.
"He still loves Moe," said Gloria Allred, the family's attorney. "Moe, of course, was innocent in all this and had nothing to do with it. We're really happy that St. James is home."
