A UTSA spokeswoman confirmed that anthropology graduate student Andrew F. Oberle, 26, was injured in the attack at the Jane Goodall Institute South Africa Chimpanzee Eden near Nelspruit on Thursday. Oberle, who was reportedly working as a guide, was with a group of tourists near an adult male chimpanzee enclosure when the mauling occurred, said David Oosthuizen, executive director of the institute, in a prepared statement. Witnesses said two male chimpanzees, called Mickey and Amadeus, grabbed Oberle by his feet and pulled him under a perimeter fence and into their enclosure, then dragged him almost a half-mile, according to news reports. The facility, which was temporarily closed to investigate safety protocols after the mauling, houses chimpanzees rescued from illegal pet and bushmeat trades and the entertainment industry, Oosthuizen's statement said. The ones at the sanctuary have already experienced abuse and injury by humans "and therefore have to be treated with caution."
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