Sandra died in 2010, aged 72, from a ruptured aortic aneurysm. I don't know what my future is, that's the scary part."
Sometimes you want to cry, you want out, you want some kind of home. In interviews, including one with Oprah Winfrey, Charla said she has lost all independence and the other care home residents avoid her because of her frightening appearance. Today she lives in a care home where she will spend the rest of her life and is practising facial exercises in the hopes she can one day smile again with her new face. Two years later she underwent a hand and face transplant, but sadly her new hands had to be removed when she developed infections. Her seven-hour operation to save her life was so traumatising, hospital staff were later offered counselling. Travis had ripped off her hands, nose, lips, torn out her eyes and smashed the bones in the middle of her face. A necropsy tested negative for rabies but indicated Travis had been given Xanax earlier in the day.Ĭharla was rushed into surgery where it became apparent she had suffered truly horrifying injuries. He was 13 years old and weighed 200 lbs (91 kg). As soon as the police arrived Travis walked to the police car and tried to get in, smashing a mirror before opening the driver's side door.Īn officer shot the chimp several times and Travis was later found dead just outside his cage. Realising she couldn't help, she called emergency services. "For me to do something like that - put a knife in him - was like putting one in myself," she said later. Sandra watched in horror as her "baby" attacked her friend and tried to intervene, hitting Travis with a shovel and even stabbing him.
There has been some speculation that he didn't recognise Charla with her new hairstyle, and also that his Lyme disease medication affected his behaviour. She went out to help her friend look for the mischievous chimp, who she had known for years.īut when Travis saw Charla holding a Tickle Me Elmo, one of his favourite toys, he snapped and attacked her. Travis was allowed to stay with Sandra because authorities didn't think he was a threat, but they were proved wrong in 2009.Ĭharla, then 55, was visiting Sandra when Travis stole some car keys and ran out of the house. It took police hours to get him back home and prompted Connecticut to ban the ownership of primates weighing more than 50 lbs (22kg). In 2003 he escaped from the family car while it was stuck in traffic, chasing after a man who had thrown something through the window. "Until you've eaten with a chimp and bathed with a chimp, you don't know a chimp," she once said.īut over time it became clear she didn't know Travis completely, as his behaviour became concerning. After the double-tragedy Travis became a surrogate child to Sandra in her grief and would sleep in her bed every night. Jerome died of cancer in 2004, and the couple's only daughter died in a car crash sometime later.
He loved going on the computer to look at pictures and videos and even learned to drive a car. Having been well-socialised by humans all his life, Travis behaved well around people and had many skills including dressing himself, feeding the family's horses, and opening locked doors with a key. He became a well-known local character and would accompany the couple to work or when they went shopping, befriending many of the neighbours. Travis was adopted by Sandra and her husband Jerome when he was only three days old, and soon became part of their family in Connecticut. The 66-year-old was trying to help pal Sandra Herold bring Travis the ape back inside after he ran away when he lashed out, ripping off her face and both of her hands.
Chimpanzee face rip off how to#
Twelve years on from a vicious chimpanzee attack, Charla Nash is still relearning how to smile in a care home. Ammon News - Travis the chimp was like a son to his adopted mum Sandra, but his behaviour became unpredictable over time and culminated in him viciously attacking family friend Charla.
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