courtesy of Facebook
Male chimpanzee Buddy, left, was shot and killed July 12 in a northwest Las Vegas Valley neighborhood after escaping his enclosure at a private residence. His companion, 13-year-old C.J., also escaped but was captured and taken back to her owners.
Friday, Aug. 17, 2012 | 4:58 p.m.
Sun archives
- Escape-artist chimp temporarily relocated but will be heading to Oregon sanctuary (8-13-2012)
- Wily chimpanzee escapes in northwest Las Vegas again (8-11-2012)
- Caretaker: Cops were right to shoot runaway chimp (7-13-2012)
- Chimp chase in NW valley ends with one chimp tranquilized, another dead (7-12-2012)
CJ — Las Vegas’ most celebrated chimp escape artist — is now a resident of Oregon.
The 13-year-old female chimpanzee, who had broken out of her cage in northwest Las Vegas twice in recent weeks, has arrived safely at a chimp sanctuary just north of Bend, Ore.
“Thanks to Marla O’Donnell, sanctuary director, and Lee Watkinson, one of CJ’s former owners, she is safe and sound in her new home,” according to a statement released Friday by Chimps Inc.
“She was greeted by chimpanzees Topo, Herbie, Jackson, Patti, Maggie Thiele and Emma, who each have a unique story of their own, just like CJ,” the organization said.
CJ (Calamity Jane) and her 14-year-old male chimp companion, Buddy, first escaped July 12 from their residential Las Vegas enclosure, where they had lived for about 10 years.
Buddy was shot and killed by police after jumping on cars and heading toward onlookers. CJ was tranquilized and captured.
CJ made a second, brief escape on Saturday from her former cage in the 5700 block of Rowland Avenue.






what a warm fuzzy article--total garbage! Did this idiot get charged man hours from police for all the problems caused owning an animal that has no business in a housing sub division in a big city residential area? these animal have hurt humans many times and this was just lucky a kid was not around to get mauled. These people should have been charged with endangering the public. Please ship them off to oregon also.
I'm glad CJ has a new secure home.
Just wait when CJ escapes up in Oregon and scares the crap out of all those tree huggers up their,,,