Victim of 200 Lb. Chimp Attack Hangs Onto Life

[jkwest]

clicky

The Connecticut woman viciously mauled by a 200-pound chimp remained in critical condition this morning and faces "life-changing, if not life-threatening" injuries to her face and hands, officials said.

The chimpanzee named Travis was shot dead by police in Stamford after the violent rampage Monday left a friend of its owner badly injured.

Sandra Herold, who owned the 15-year-old chimp, wrestled with the animal after it inexplicably attacked her friend, Charla Nash, 55.

Nash had gone to Herold's home to help her coax the chimp back into the house after he got out, authorities said.

After the animal - who had appeared in TV commercials for Old Navy and Coca-Cola when he was younger - lunged at Nash when she got out of her car, Herold ran inside to call 911 and returned armed.

"She retrieved a large butcher knife and stabbed her longtime pet numerous times in an effort to save her friend, who was really being brutally attacked," said Stamford police Capt. Richard Conklin.

Nash remains in critical condition after suffering what Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy called "life-changing, if not life-threatening," injuries to her face and hands.

Her sister-in-law, Kate Nash, said Tuesday morning that Nash underwent surgery Monday night and came out of it "OK."

"It was a very brutal attack," said Stamford police Cpt. Richard Conklin, adding that the woman's "hands were mangled."

"There was no provocation that we know of. One thing that we're looking into is that we understand the chimpanzee has Lyme disease and has been ill from that, so maybe from the medications he was out of sorts. We really don't know," Conklin said.

After the 3:30 p.m. attack, Travis ran away and started roaming Herold's property until police arrived - setting up security so medics could reach the critically injured woman.

But the chimpanzee returned and went after several of the officers, who retreated into their cars.

Travis knocked the mirror off a cruiser before opening its door and starting to get in, trapping the a cop.

That officer shot the chimpanzee several times, Conklin said.

The wounded chimpanzee fled the scene, but Conklin said police were able to follow the trail of his blood down a driveway, into the open door of the home, through the house and to his living quarters, where he had retreated and died of his wounds.

Herold and two officers also received minor injuries, police said.

Cops had dealt with the chimp in the past - including an incident in 2003 when he escaped from his owners' vehicle in downtown Stamford for two hours.

At the time, officers used cookies, macadamia treats and ice cream in an attempt to lure him, but subdued him only after he became too tired to resist.

At the time of the 2003 incident, police said the Herolds assured them that the chimpanzee -- who was toilet trained, dressed himself, took his own bath, ate at the table and drank wine from a glass -- was not a threat to others.