Post by ۞Quaalude™۞ on Feb 18, 2009 16:45:40 GMT -5
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.
Here the 911 Call Here www.stamfordadvocate.com/ci_11725890?source=most_viewed
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.
This animal was raised as a family member," Malloy said at a news conference Monday night at police headquarters that was attended by dozens of reporters. "The owner, if she was here, would be speaking of the chimpanzee as her child."
The attack occurred in the driveway outside Herold's home at 241 Rockrimmon Road. Police said the chimp had become agitated before the attack, and Herold gave him tea with Xanax, a prescription drug used to treat panic and anxiety disorders, in an effort to calm him.
Instead, Travis grabbed Herold's keys, let himself out of the house and began banging on cars in the driveway, police said.
Herold called Nash, who was attacked when she got out of her car.
"The chimpanzee exited the house and for some reason, we don't know what triggered it, and attacked the visitor," Conklin said. "It was a very extreme attack, a very brutal attack."
Herold saw what was happening, called 911 at 3:44 p.m. and grabbed a butcher knife. She stabbed the chimp a number of times, Conklin said.
officers retreated to their vehicles, Conklin said.
Travis, known for liking police officers, tried to open the passenger door of a cruiser, smashing the side-view mirror. When he couldn't get it open, the chimp went around to the driver's-side door and opened it, Conklin said. The officer in the cruiser shot the animal.
"He had no choice but to pull his pistol and fire several rounds," Conklin said.
He said the chimp was shot in the upper torso, then fled. Officers followed a trail of blood into the house to Travis' living quarters, a room filled with ropes and a "zoo-like cage," Conklin said. The chimp was dead there, he said.
Herold's friend, Don Mecca of Port Chester, N.Y., said he was wary of the chimp.
They're pretty calm . . . but they will get you one way or the other" if they are angered, Mecca said.
Many Stamford residents know Travis for an incident in October 2003, when the chimp jumped out of an SUV in which he was riding with Herold and her late husband, Jerome.
The incident occurred after a young man threw something at the SUV that went through a half-open window and struck Travis while they were stopped at a traffic light. Startled, Travis unbuckled his seat belt, opened the SUV door and went after the man but did not catch him.
Travis then played at the busy Tresser Boulevard intersection for about two hours. Each time his owners lured him into the SUV, Travis got back out by opening the door before they could lock it. The same thing happened when they tried to get Travis into the back of a police cruiser. At one point, the chimp chased officers around a police car parked on Tresser Boulevard. Police finally forced him back into the SUV.
It is not illegal to own an exotic pet in Connecticut, but a law requires new owners to have permits. The law was not retroactive and so did not apply to the Herolds.
As The Advocate has reported, the chimp was toilet trained, dressed himself, took his own bath, ate at the table and drank wine from a stemmed glass. He brushed his teeth using a Water Pik, logged onto the computer to look at pictures, and watched television using the remote control.
The Herolds got Travis when he was 3 days old.
When he was younger, Travis appeared on TV commercials for Old Navy and Coca-Cola, made an appearance on the "Maury Povich Show" and took part in a television pilot.
Through the Herolds' towing business, the chimp got to know several police officers. During the 2003 incident at the downtown intersection, Travis thought the officers who tried to contain him were playing, the owner said at the time.
But the brutal mauling Monday garnered national attention, drawing dozens of television crews to the Stamford Police Department for a news conference Monday evening. Conklin is slated to appear on NBC's "Today" show this morning.
Conklin said police will investigate the shooting and possible violation of animal laws
After he was stabbed, Travis reportedly wandered around the yard.
When police arrived to protect emergency medical workers, Travis reappeared and
"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 QC
www.wowowow.com
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.
Here the 911 Call Here www.stamfordadvocate.com/ci_11725890?source=most_viewed
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.
This animal was raised as a family member," Malloy said at a news conference Monday night at police headquarters that was attended by dozens of reporters. "The owner, if she was here, would be speaking of the chimpanzee as her child."
The attack occurred in the driveway outside Herold's home at 241 Rockrimmon Road. Police said the chimp had become agitated before the attack, and Herold gave him tea with Xanax, a prescription drug used to treat panic and anxiety disorders, in an effort to calm him.
Instead, Travis grabbed Herold's keys, let himself out of the house and began banging on cars in the driveway, police said.
Herold called Nash, who was attacked when she got out of her car.
"The chimpanzee exited the house and for some reason, we don't know what triggered it, and attacked the visitor," Conklin said. "It was a very extreme attack, a very brutal attack."
Herold saw what was happening, called 911 at 3:44 p.m. and grabbed a butcher knife. She stabbed the chimp a number of times, Conklin said.
officers retreated to their vehicles, Conklin said.
Travis, known for liking police officers, tried to open the passenger door of a cruiser, smashing the side-view mirror. When he couldn't get it open, the chimp went around to the driver's-side door and opened it, Conklin said. The officer in the cruiser shot the animal.
"He had no choice but to pull his pistol and fire several rounds," Conklin said.
He said the chimp was shot in the upper torso, then fled. Officers followed a trail of blood into the house to Travis' living quarters, a room filled with ropes and a "zoo-like cage," Conklin said. The chimp was dead there, he said.
Herold's friend, Don Mecca of Port Chester, N.Y., said he was wary of the chimp.
They're pretty calm . . . but they will get you one way or the other" if they are angered, Mecca said.
Many Stamford residents know Travis for an incident in October 2003, when the chimp jumped out of an SUV in which he was riding with Herold and her late husband, Jerome.
The incident occurred after a young man threw something at the SUV that went through a half-open window and struck Travis while they were stopped at a traffic light. Startled, Travis unbuckled his seat belt, opened the SUV door and went after the man but did not catch him.
Travis then played at the busy Tresser Boulevard intersection for about two hours. Each time his owners lured him into the SUV, Travis got back out by opening the door before they could lock it. The same thing happened when they tried to get Travis into the back of a police cruiser. At one point, the chimp chased officers around a police car parked on Tresser Boulevard. Police finally forced him back into the SUV.
It is not illegal to own an exotic pet in Connecticut, but a law requires new owners to have permits. The law was not retroactive and so did not apply to the Herolds.
As The Advocate has reported, the chimp was toilet trained, dressed himself, took his own bath, ate at the table and drank wine from a stemmed glass. He brushed his teeth using a Water Pik, logged onto the computer to look at pictures, and watched television using the remote control.
The Herolds got Travis when he was 3 days old.
When he was younger, Travis appeared on TV commercials for Old Navy and Coca-Cola, made an appearance on the "Maury Povich Show" and took part in a television pilot.
Through the Herolds' towing business, the chimp got to know several police officers. During the 2003 incident at the downtown intersection, Travis thought the officers who tried to contain him were playing, the owner said at the time.
But the brutal mauling Monday garnered national attention, drawing dozens of television crews to the Stamford Police Department for a news conference Monday evening. Conklin is slated to appear on NBC's "Today" show this morning.
Conklin said police will investigate the shooting and possible violation of animal laws
After he was stabbed, Travis reportedly wandered around the yard.
When police arrived to protect emergency medical workers, Travis reappeared and
"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 QC
www.wowowow.com