Shocking Chimp Attacks: The Dark Side Of Chimpanzees You Need To Know

Tobin Stokes 08 May 2025

Could a creature raised as family turn into a nightmare? The disturbing reality is that chimpanzees, despite their intelligence and seeming affability, possess a raw, untamed power capable of inflicting devastating harm.

James and Ladonna Davis learned this the hardest way possible, after sharing 30 years of their lives with a chimpanzee they treated as their own child. A horrific attack shattered their idyllic world, and adding insult to injury, a man then allegedly targeted their bank accounts, preying on their vulnerability. This is just one instance in a larger, unsettling pattern.

Category	Details
Subject	Chimpanzee Attacks
Key Instances	Davis Family Chimpanzee Attack Travis the Chimp Attack on Charla Nash Wild Chimpanzee Attacks on Gorillas
Related Locations	Stamford, Connecticut Loango National Park, Gabon Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania Kyamajaka Havilah, California
Key Figures	James and Ladonna Davis Charla Nash Sandra Herold
Additional Information	For further reading and research on chimpanzee behavior and attacks, visit the Jane Goodall Institute Website.

Chimpanzees' lethal attacks on gorillas in the wild have been observed for the first time, according to a team of researchers. Experts observing dozens of chimps at Loango National Park in Gabon had the misfortune of witnessing two fatal encounters caught on film in central Africa. New research details these events where wild chimpanzees attacked and killed gorillas. Its a rare example of one great ape species attacking anotherand scientists are worried about what this means for the future of these endangered primates. The observations, dating back to December 6, 2019, revealed the chimps attacking a party of five western lowland gorillas.

But periodic violent attacks on humans serve as stark reminders of the inherent risk associated with these powerful animals. In Havilah, California, in 2005, a man was severely maimed by two chimps at an animal sanctuary, highlighting the potential danger, even in controlled environments. The incident is a chilling example of how quickly affection can turn into aggression when dealing with such creatures.

The ferocious attack by a chimpanzee on a woman in Stamford, Connecticut, on February 16, 2009, wasnt a question of if but of when. The chimp, named Travis, was raised by his owner, Sandra Herold, 70. Charla Nash barely survived this vicious attack, losing one eye, both eyelids, her nose, lips, and hands. Paramedics initially thought Nash had to be dead when they came upon the bloody scene. He tore off her nose, ears and hands, and blinded her as his owner, Sandra Herold, frantically beat him, stabbed him and called the police. When they arrived at her home in Connecticut, they shot Travis dead. More than four years later, Nash has been in the news again this week as she continues to recover from her extensive injuries, a testament to the brutality of the attack and the long road to recovery.

A new study shows that chimpanzees are like humans in another important way their natural capacity for violence. Lethal attacks by coalitions of chimpanzees on gorillas in the wild has been observed for the first time.

Chimpanzees and gorillas are generally relaxed around each other in the Loango National Park, but these recent attacks shatter the illusion of peaceful coexistence. Researchers at Osnabrck University and the Max Planck Institute are working to understand the reasons behind this unprecedented aggression.

Watch the planning and specific positions involved in a detailed chimpanzee attack on a colobus monkey. Subscribe to see more examples of chimpanzee behavior and hunting strategies.

Oberle's sister, Elizabeth Sosa, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that her brother, who worked at the Missouri Primate Foundation in Labadie, Missouri, lost his ears, his left arm and all his toes in the attack.

Chimp Eden, a joint venture aimed at protecting and rehabilitating chimpanzees rescued from various situations, works to educate the public about the complexities of chimpanzee behavior and the dangers of keeping them as pets.

While the majority of attacks have been from chimps in captivity, one Congolese boy was left severely disfigured after being set upon by wild chimps, highlighting that the threat exists even in natural habitats.

Chimpanzees killing gorillas for the first time in two shocking attacks caught on video at a national park in Gabon on the west coast of central Africa demonstrate the increasingly hostile interactions between these species.

Chimpanzees are some of the most dangerous and aggressive animals when they decide to attack humans. These are 3 of the most savage chimp attacks of all time, each serving as a chilling reminder of their inherent wildness.

In addition, bonobos (pan paniscus), sometimes called pygmy chimpanzees, have been recorded attacking each other, but to a much lesser degree than chimps do, according to the 2014 study, which suggests that aggression may be more pronounced in chimpanzee societies.

To live there was to feel constantly at risk of attack by chimps, Ntegeka told me. She described how the animals would show up in their front yard and peer into their windows, scaring the family and creating a pervasive sense of unease. Things are still uneasy in Kyamajaka these days, for at least some people and some chimpanzees, as the line between human and animal territories becomes increasingly blurred.

Footage of male chimpanzees (pan troglodytes) attacking the alpha male of their troop, Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania, offers a glimpse into the complex social dynamics and power struggles within chimpanzee communities. Konrad Wothe / naturepl.com

Captive or pet chimpanzees attack people far more often than their wild kin, because they can lose their fear of people altogether, becoming emboldened and less predictable.

During attacks, chimps will target a person's face, hands, feet, and genitals, inflicting severe and often life-altering injuries. This targeted aggression underscores the deliberate and strategic nature of their attacks.

Feeding chimps can also increase their population density by causing them to cluster around human camps, thus causing more competition between them and increasing the likelihood of conflict with both humans and other chimpanzees.

To test between the two hypotheses, a large team of primatologists led by Michael Wilson of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, analyzed data from 18 chimpanzee communities, along with four bonobo communities, to better understand the factors contributing to violence in these primate societies.

The full story of the 2009 chimp attack involving Travis the Chimp continues to resonate, raising critical questions about the ethics of keeping exotic animals as pets and the potential consequences of blurring the lines between the wild and domestic spheres.