Travis the Chimp Shot and Killed After Attack [Video]
Source: www.celebritysmackblog.com
Embedded video from CNN Video
A 15-year-old domesticated chimpanzee named Travis was shot and killed by officers Monday after he attacked a friend of his owner’s.
The chimp had starred in commercials for Old Navy and Coca Cola.
Owner Sandra Herold had called her friend Carla Nash to help her capture her 200-pound pet after he escaped, using a key to unlock the door.
Once Nash showed up, Travis jumped on her, biting and attacking her face neck and hands as she tried to defend herself in the Stamford, Connecticut front yard. Herold immediately ran inside, called 911 and grabbed a butcher knife and shovel to combat the chimp. She stabbed her pet numerous times in an effort to save her friend’s life.
Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy described her injuries as “life-changing, if not life-threatening.” Her sister-in-law, Kate Nash, said she had successfully undergone surgery Monday night.
A Stamford police spokesperson says they are unsure as to what caused the brutal attack.
“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.”
A primatologist at the Bronx Zoo, reminded people that wild animals are unpredictible even after years of being domesticated.
“It’s deceiving to think that if any animal is … well-behaved around humans, that means there is no risk involved to humans for potential outbursts of behavior,” said Colleen McCann. “They are unpredictable, and in instances like this you cannot control that behavior or prevent it from happening if it is in a private home.”
Herold may have given the animal a Xanax prior to the attack because the animal was agitated.
The animal also escaped from his home in 2003, wreaking havoc on the neighborhood.
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