Chimps may not make the best pets.
Charla Nash, 55, found that out first hand when her friend’s pet chimpanzee, Travis, attacked her during a visit to the friend’s home in Stamford, CT. The almost 200-pound Travis apparently used a key to escape the house, and Nash’s friend, Sandra Herold, had called Nash over to help get him back inside. But Travis wanted none of it, and attacked Nash, leaving her hospitalized with life-threatening injuries to her face, neck and hands. Herold stabbed Travis with a butcher knife and hit him with a shovel to try to stop him.
Travis, who was well known in Stamford for driving around in his owner’s tow trucks and who could dress himself, was shot and killed by a responding police officer when it tried to get into his cruiser. He apparently was also known for liking police cars. Two officers were reportedly injured in the attack.
“It was a very serious attack. Nash suffered a tremendous loss of blood, terrible facial injuries, body injuries and hand injuries,” Capt. Richard Conklin told The Stamford Advocate. “The chimpanzee exited the house and for some reason, we don’t know what triggered it, attacked the visitor …it was a very extreme attack, a very brutal attack.” We wish Nash a speedy recovery!
