Chimp Held on Oregon Ranch for 17 Years Is Killed After Attack

An Oregon woman called police Sunday morning to report that the chimpanzee she owned had escaped its cage and attacked her daughter. A responding Umatilla County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed the animal after getting permission from the owner, Oregon Live reports. The 50-year-old victim had become trapped in a bedroom in the basement. She was taken to a nearby hospital with bites to her torso, arms, and legs.

The adult male chimpanzee, named Buck, had lived on the woman's ranch for 17 years, the East Oregonian reports. From 2010 to 2019, she had operated the Buck Brogoitti Animal Rescue, a nonprofit named for the chimpanzee. It provided a home for horses who had been seized in abuse and neglect cases. "Attacks from any privately-owned primate in captivity should be expected because these animals are not living healthy lives where they can express their natural urges and engage in natural behaviors," one expert says. (More chimpanzees stories.)