Man who lost face in '05 mauling knows hell of new chimpanzee victim

[RamboLiberal]

Probably no one better understands the profound and peculiar agony that chimp mauling victim Charla Nash is suffering than St. James Davis.

Davis survived a horrific chimpanzee attack at a California wildlife rescue center in March 2005 - but not before his nose and mouth were ripped off, an eye was gouged out, his left foot was mangled and most of his fingers and buttocks were devoured.

He was in a medically induced coma for months. He's undergone more than 60 surgeries since.

"I remember every bite, one at a time. I remember when I went to touch my face, my fingers looked really scary," Davis, 66, told the Daily News.

He nearly bled to death three times as two hospitals denied him entry before a trauma center agreed to take him, he said.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/02/22/2009-02-22_man_who_lost_face_in_05_mauling_knows_he.html

[msongs]

1. two hospitals denied him entry.....so much for the "finest health care in the world" nt

[dsc]

2. It sounds like they couldn't treat him due to how horrible his injuries were

not money.

[Clear Blue Sky]

4. Lady from Connecticut who was attacked is at the Cleveland Clinic.

Very special care probably needed. Not available at Yale or the big NYC hospitals I guess.

[dsc]

6. wow not that is kind of stunning

The Cleveland Clinic is an awesome hospital but still one would think NYC would have at least one place.

[dustbunnie]

7. I think it's because that's the site a face transplant was already performed. nt

[Arkansas Granny]

9. You are correct. They performed the first transplant in the U.S. in December, 2008.

[chollybocker]

3. Question 1: Do you have insurance?

Question 2: Do you have a face?

[Raine]

5. Very sad

how awful to have to go thru the rest of your life with such horrible injuries. :-(

[LisaL]

8. Because chimps are portrayed in movies as cute and cuddly,

you just don't think they are so violent and dangerous.
Wow.

[Edweird]

10. I don't like primates or pachyderms. They are not *sweet*.

[misanthrope]

11. They can exhibit any variety of behavior since they are complex animals like us...

...To think otherwise is to disrespect them.

[Edweird]

12. Hey, whatever works for you.

I still don't like 'em.

[chatnoir]

13. Pachyderms I love but chimps I've never liked

And I'm a total animal person. Too human-like for my tastes.

[backscatter712]

14. Elephants can be very sweet...

and then with zero provocation, they'll turn on you, trunk-slap you, run you through with their tusks, and stomp you flat.

They're wild animals, and need to be respected as such.

I like elephants and apes and other big animals, but I don't know enough to go in the enclosure with them, so I don't - I can't read them well enough to not get mauled.