St. James Davis chimpanzee attack
St. James Davis, a NASCAR Winston West Series driver, and his wife LaDonna treated their pet chimpanzee Moe as if he were their child. Moe was an orphan from Tanzania who they rescued in 1967 and raised at home. He wore clothes, was toilet trained, and even helped at the couple’s wedding.
Over the years Moe caused trouble. In 1977 he bit a woman, but the case was dismissed. By the 1990s Moe lived in a 10-by-12-foot enclosure at the couple’s home. On August 16, 1998, Moe escaped during cage repairs, frightened by an electric shock, and had to be restrained by police. He dented a police car and bit an officer’s hand, which required medical treatment.
On September 2, 1999 a visitor came to see Moe and was bitten after she extended her hand into his cage. Moe’s wife claimed her red nail polish looked like Moe’s favorite candy, and the visitor sued. The case was settled. West Covina, California, then seized Moe and sent him to Wildlife WayStation, an animal sanctuary.
St. James and LaDonna fought for Moe’s return in court but were not successful. In 2002 the city agreed to pay them $100,000 and buy a home in Baldwin Park so they could live with Moe. The couple moved Moe to other sanctuaries as licensing and safety concerns arose, including a 2003 move to Animal Haven Ranch near Bakersfield.
On Moe’s 39th birthday, March 3, 2005, two young male chimps, Buddy and Ollie, escaped their cages and attacked St. James and LaDonna during a visit. LaDonna lost her thumb, and St. James suffered severe, life-changing injuries that left him permanently disfigured. Two other chimpanzees, Susie and Bones, escaped but were recaptured five hours later. Moe did not take part in the attack. The sanctuary’s owner’s son-in-law shot Buddy in the head, and another shot Ollie as he dragged St. James along. The assault caused gruesome injuries to St. James, who was taken to the hospital and spent six months there, undergoing more than 60 surgeries. He later had a prosthetic eye and facial scarring.
The Davises had long fought to be with Moe. In 2006 they posted a “Free Moe” sign in their yard, and in 2007 a court ruled West Covina must pay them $32,000 for not meeting the 2002 settlement and provide monthly support to cover Moe’s housing and travel costs.
Moe disappeared in the summer of 2008. He had been living at Jungle Exotics, a ranch for performing animals, and was last seen near there or heading toward the mountains. Despite helicopter flyovers and police searches, Moe was never found.
St. James had a stroke in December 2017 and died in July 2018. LaDonna later faced financial abuse from Min Maw, who pressured her to sign over a living will and control of the Davises’ assets. After Maw was removed and a legal fight followed, a settlement was reached to protect what remained of LaDonna’s assets.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 23:41 (CET).