A "domesticated" chimpanzee ripped a woman's face off in Connecticut last week after her friend had called her over to help get the chimp back into the house. "Travis" the chimpanzee, who has been featured in television commercials, was a Connecticut widow's friend and "companion." The woman, Sandra Herold, fed him steak, lobster and ice cream at the table, to go along with wine, toilet-rights and fancy clothes. He knew how to use the Internet and channel-surfed.
He also knows how to rip off a woman's face.
The story is simple enough on its face: Herold had a pet chimp that got out, so she called her friend to help get him in; Travis saw the friend arrive, and began savagely beating her. Herold decided to call 911, then she stabbed her pet chimp then slapped it around with a shovel. This apparently did little damage, as Travis continued his rampage. Herold pleaded with the 911 operator to get the police over soon to shoot Travis. When they arrived, they obliged, after Travis attempted to get into one of their cop cars. That's where it gets complicated.
Post-attack reports allege that the woman gave the chimp Xanax before the attack. He was "agitated" so she gave him some tea with Xanax, which is what some believe set off the chimp. The owner denies this now, saying that she did not give the chimp Xanax, but police stick to their story. The woman says that Travis was thrown off by her friend's appearance, as she'd recently changed her car and hairstyle. She says that Travis was really protective of her, like a son. Then a different Connecticut woman came forward to allege that in 1996 she was attacked by Travis and had reported it to police.
It seems Travis has a history of violence.
None of this is all that important in the grand scheme of things, though Herold's friend will never be the same again as Travis literally ate her face off (she survives in critical condition and will need much plastic surgery). But it matters because there is a chance that this woman will get off without any serious jail time or legal recourse. Connecticut legal officials are looking into whether or not they should charge her for something relating to this crime, and I argue that they should.
First of all, no one should have a chimpanzee in their house, and second, she is liable for the chimp's actions - and the chimp attempted to murder someone and engaged in aggravated battery and destruction of property, among other things. From her own transcribed conversation with the police operator, it's obvious that Travis attempted to murder the friend.
People want to have pets, and that's fine; but people don't take enough responsibility for them. If your dog poops on the sidewalk, you should clean it up or face consequences. If it rips a woman's face off, you belong in jail for negligence, at the very least. I don't think that's too much to ask for.
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