PALM HARBOR, Fla. – A chimpanzee mauled a female volunteer at a Tampa-area primate sanctuary, causing serious injuries, according to deputies.
Sheriff's deputies said 21-year-old Andrea Maturan was attacked while cleaning a cage Friday morning at the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor. She sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries.
The sheriff's office said Maturan struggled with the 10-year-old chimp named Shawn and locked herself in a bathroom to get away. Handlers were eventually able to get Shawn and another loose chimp back in their cages.
State wildlife officials are investigating.
The sheriff's office reported the name of the facility as the Chimp Farm, but its Web site said the name is now Suncoast Primate Sanctuary.
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