Charla Nash’s story spread worldwide in 2019, serving as a clear and distinct warning for all those considering making pets of wild animals.
When it comes to what animals an individual may keep and care for in their home, laws differ depending on where said person live. What’s acceptable for folk in some countries seems utterly bizarre to people in others. There are obviously a plethora of moral and ethical questions raised, not to mention concerns regarding to the safety of the homeowner in question when they take in a potential dangerous animal.
Over the years we’ve seen all manner of stories involving pet spiders, snakes, exotic birds, tigers (yes tigers), and, naturally, just about any species of dog under the sun. Yet few cautionary tales can compare to the events involving Charla Nash, her friend Sandra Herold, and Sandra’s pet chimp, Travis.
By all accounts, Travis was a local celebrity in the area of Sandra’s home in Connecticut, though his behavior had grown increasingly erratic over time as he adjusted to a lifestyle wholly unnatural to a chimp.
Chimps – as with virtually any animal – can act out if feeling threatened, jealous, sick, scared or simply out of sorts, and sudden bursts of aggression, often coming completely without warning, can have dire consequences.
Charla Nash, a friend of Sandra’s, often visited the home and spent time with Travis, who in turn appeared comfortable and calm in her presence.
That was until the day of February 16, 2009, when Nash – who had recently changed her hair – went to Sandra’s house to help return the chimp to his enclosure.
The chimp had reportedly stole his owner’s car keys and left the house to go outside. When Nash arrived, she attempted to lure him back into the home through the use of one of his toys.
When Travis recognized his doll, however, he erupted in a fit of rage and leapt to the attack. As per reports, the prevailing theory is that the chimp may have become confused or agitated by Nash’s new hair.
In any case, what unfolded thereafter was a scene from a nightmare.
Sandra Herold placed a call to 911 in the midst of the attack, where Travis’ screeches could be heard in the background as he mauled Nash. Nash, who had been pinned against a car, suffered grave injuries to her face, including broken bones, torn eyelids, nose, jaw, lips, and the removal of most of her scalp.
Travis also left her blind and severed one of her hands.
Herold’s desperate attempts to bring her chimp under control included hitting him with a shovel and stabbing him in the back with a large knife. Travis, though, was relentless, and then began to eat Nash’s face and eyeballs.
Police arrived at the scene minutes later, and Travis came at them too, covered in blood. Responding officer Frank Chiafari shot the chimp multiple times, forcing him back into his cage, where he died from his wounds.
Nash, though extensively maimed, was miraculously still alive. After hours on the operating table, surgeons were able to reattach her jaw before she was flown to Ohio for an experimental face transplant.
Later recalling the horrific incident, Nash described what she could hear as the crazed attack unfolded.
“The thing I heard the most was, it kept screaming; Screaming, screaming and screaming,” Nash told 60 Minutes Australia.
A subsequent toxicology report performed on Travis determined that the animal had been given Xanax on the day of the attack. Sandra speculated that this may have fueled his aggression.
What are your thoughts on keeping wild animals such as chimpanzees as pets? Let us know in the comments.
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