![]() Several attempts to lure the chimp back into the car failed, as Travis simply let himself out of another door. After obstructing traffic for some time, police were called. Incensed, the chimp unbuckled his seatbelt, let himself out of the car and pursued the man, but failed to catch him. While the Herold’s car was stopped at a busy junction, a passerby threw an object that passed through the open window and struck Travis. However, in this case it is entirely fair to say that he was provoked. After the death of Jerome Herold in 2004, and the previous passing of the Herold’s only child in a road traffic accident, Sandra begin to treat Travis even more like a child.Ī year before Jerome’s death, one incident was reported that suggested there were some potential issues with Travis’s behaviour. Like most chimps, Travis showed a talent for learning new skills and problem solving, including the ability to use keys to open doors, dress himself, drink from a wine glass, use a remote to watch TV and to memorise the schedules of local ice cream trucks. Growing up around humans, Travis appeared generally very well adapted, often described as listening better than children by neighbours that were familiar with him. ![]() Travis quickly became a well-known celebrity around Stamford, becoming familiar with many police officers that he would encounter due to Sandra and Jerome’s work running a towing company.Īn infant Travis photographed with a member of the Stamford Police Force. The couple treated him more like a child than a pet, often bringing him to work with them or on trips to the shops. At three days old, Travis was adopted by Sandra and Jerome Herold, who brought the infant chimpanzee to live with them at their home in Stamford, Connecticut. Travis was born in October 1995 at a compound owned by Mike and Connie Casey, now renamed the Missouri Chimpanzee Sanctuary. A 911 audio recording of the attack served to add to the case’s infamy, as did the appearance of victim Charla Nash on The Oprah Winfrey Show 10 months after the incident, revealing the shocking aftermath of the attack. Travis was a 13-year old male common chimpanzee that remains notorious for what is perhaps the most graphic and life-changing non-fatal attack on a human by an animal. Earlier this week, a 14-year-old, 200-pound (90-kilogram) pet chimpanzee in Stamford, Conn., left a woman in critical condition after attacking her-mutilating her face and hands.*The following article contains descriptions of graphic injuries, as well as images of the aftermath of those injuries* The owner, Sandra Herold, who tried to stop the attack, was also injured and briefly hospitalized. The victim remains in critical condition. The chimp, Travis, who was shot and killed by police officers at the scene, was apparently a friendly fixture around the neighborhood. He appeared in television commercials and had a sapiens-level CV that included using a computer, bathing and sipping wine from a stemmed glass, according to The New York Times. Reports, however, are starting to surface that Travis might have bitten another woman in 1996 and that Herold had been warned by animal control that her pet could be dangerous.Ĭhimpanzees, with a genetic profile that's 98 percent like ours, can seem like cute, hairy iterations of people. But periodic violent attacks on humans, including one in Havilah, Calif., in 2005 in which a man was maimed by two chimps at an animal sanctuary, are reminders that the animals have at least one big difference: brute strength. So why would an allegedly acclimated chimpanzee turn on a human-especially one whom he had known? Travis was reportedly suffering from Lyme disease, caused by a tick-borne bacterium and known to cause fatigue, joint problems and mental difficulties-including trouble focusing and poor memory in humans. Some have suggested that the attack was spurred by Xanax, a prescription drug used to treat anxiety disorders in humans, with side effects that can-but rarely-include depression, confusion and problem behavior. Travis’ owner claims to have given him a Xanax-laced tea the day of the attack. He is affiliated with the Living Links Center at Emory University in Atlanta where he is a professor of psychology, and is also author of The New York Times notable book of the year, Our Inner Ape.Īre captive chimpanzee attacks on humans common? To find out more about chimpanzee attacks, we spoke with Frans de Waal, lead biologist from the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. Most of the time they attack through cage bars. It happens more often with people they don't know very well and people who aren't familiar with chimpanzees. But it has happened to many of the best scientists and researchers, who are now missing digits.
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