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For those following this bizarre story in Stamford Connecticut:
(WCBSTV)
A woman continues to fight for her life Tuesday morning following a bizarre attack by a pet chimpanzee.
CBS 2 HD has learned a lot more about the animal, who even had a history on television.
The chimpanzee, considered a fixture in the north Stamford community, turned into a monster on Monday afternoon, attacking a 55-year-old woman after she showed up at the home of the animal’s owner, at 241 Rockrimmon Road.
“He bit both of her hands off and the cop told me he just kept eating her. It’s terrible,” said Lynne Mecca, a friend of the victim.
The 200-pound animal was a celebrity in Stamford. It appeared in TV commercials. People would stop to take photos with “Travis the chimp” as he was called.
But that all changed when it attacked Charla Nash, a friend of the animal’s owner.
“The owner went into the kitchen, retrieved a long butcher knife and stabbed the chimp several times to assist her friend,” Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin told CBS 2 HD.
The animal escaped into a wooded area, only to return when police arrived.
“The chimpanzee knocked the mirror off and tried to access the [police] car by opening the door,” Capt. Conklin said.
As the animal tried to enter the vehicle, the officer in the driver’s seat shot it several times in the chest.
Travis again escaped, but after a lengthy search ended inside the home, “a blood trail was followed to a room where it was found expired from the gunshot wounds,” Conklin said.
Travis grew up in the house he died in. His aggressive action did not come as a surprise to one animal expert.
“Well, aggressive behavior in chimpanzees is very normal actually,” Dr. E’Lise Christensen said. “So when they’re in an environment filled with people, they don’t have any other targets other than people to be aggressive towards.”
The news of a lengthy and brutal attack came as a surprise to some. Neighbors told CBS 2 HD it wasn’t uncommon to see Travis walking around the neighborhood, sometimes unleashed.
“He was friendly, always friendly,” one neighbor said.
But not to everyone.
Ironically, CBS 2 HD has also learned that the same chimpanzee escaped from his owners’ SUV back in 2003 and caused havoc in downtown Stamford before police put down the then-175-pound animal with a tranquilizer gun.
ha crazy story!!!
They say he had Lyme’s Disease which would explain the attack.
Parents, please warn children that “cute” animals can be vicious too.
How often do we read of the chochem who climbs over the rail to play with the cute polar bears, but doesn’t live to tell his story.
Also remember that a squirrel is a rat with a cute busy tail.
ask almost any dog owner. they love their dog. their dog is a member of the family. their dog doesnt bite. it is only other dogs that bite.
The most recent official survey from the Centers for Disease Control, conducted more than a decade ago, determined there were 4.7 million dog bite victims annually in the USA. A more recent study showed that 1,000 Americans per day are treated in emergency rooms as a result of dog bites. Most of the victims who receive medical attention are children, half of whom are bitten in the face.
Feivel,
Don’t compare this bizarre and horrifying case with dogs. There are 70 – 80 million dogs in the US and there are about a dozen fatalities annually. By comparison there are about 10 times as many fatalities due to lawnmowers. Also by comparison, there are about 800 bicycle fatalities per year in the US (and 33,000 automobile deaths per year). Moreover, serious dog related injuries come overwhelmingly from a very small number of breeds (pit bulls and rottweilers).
Like anything else (such as lawnmowers), it pays to be careful.
My real safety concern when I walk my dog are the frum people who walk into traffic to avoid being within 50 feet of a dog on a leash. Sheesh. For some reason, nonfrum and nonjewish people have no problem passing a dog on a leash.
this whole story is crazy, starting from the attack, to the chimp getting shot.$
dd, I have no problem passing a dog on the street and I am frum. I have taught my children as well, not to be scared of dogs. If the owner is there and has the dog on a leash, it should not be a problem. I never could understand why alot of yeshivah children walk across the street to avoid a dog. Even a tiny one.
I grew up with a dog in the home, so it could be a reason, why I am not fearful. He was a great pet and I miss him alot. I don’t think he bit anyone in the 16 years, my parents had him. On the other hand, after that dog was put down, my parents got another dog, who I was not so found of. He bit me, as I was trying to take away a chicken bone that fell on the floor. Also, one of my sons tried to snuggle with him while he was sleeping and nipped him in the face. B’H it wasn’t so bad. All those times, we were at fault. Dogs are sometimes aggressive when they are eating and don’t like to be bothered when sleeping. The saying “let sleeping dogs lie” is so true. The one time I did get really scared with the 2nd dog, was when I spent a Shabbat by my parents home. I was alone with their dog(everyone had gone to Shul) and one of the kids and the dog decided to lie on the couch. I tried to shoo him off. He was NOT happy and very angry. He bared his teeth and was growling. He really scared me. I decided he won and I went into a bedroom to wait for my parents to come home. I was not going near him!!
For some reason, nonfrum and nonjewish people have no problem passing a dog on a leash.
This was discussed already a while back-(most) frum people are afraid of dogs simply being because most don’t have one
ridiculous story.I was recently at a chimpanzee show.Maybe i shouldn’t go again they’re dangerous.
dogs are animals
No dogs:
Kesef Mishna brings the Gemora supporting the Rambam in Mesechtes Bava Kama 15:2 not to have a dog in your house.
and Rambam Hilchos Talmud Torah 6:14, and Hilchos Nizkei Mamon 5:9, Chazon Ish on Choshen Mishpat Likutim 18:9.
It pays to be careful around animals that look untrained (trying to run away from its owner), look wild (like some cats) or are sick. But dont be dumb and walk on the other side of the street when an owner comes with his dog on a leash!
Maybe this story shows us which types of animals are meant to be kept in the house and which ones are supposed to be wild… you do not see normal dalmatians or poodles at the zoo!
We had a dog growing up so I’m not scared but since my toddler is terrified if a dog comes too close, I do sometimes try to avoid them.
Also, I just heard of a (Chassidish?) minhag that a pregnant woman shouldn’t look at any treif animals.
I wouldn’t own an indoor cat or dog, because I prefer not to share my living space with an animal. Also, I didn’t have pets growing up, so I’m not used to them. But I teach my children that leashed or fenced-in dogs won’t hurt them. I also taught my kids not to touch any dog or cat, unless the owner says it’s OK & is holding it.
Crazy story!!!
dd, not all frum ppl are afraid of dogs, I luv dogs and most of my friends like dogs and we’re all frum.
According to many Poskim (based on Tosfos in shabbos 45B), animals are muktza. There is an interesting Igros Moshe (OC Chelek Hey, Simin Chaf Beis) that seems to say if the animal is meyuchad to be a pet, it is not muktza.
Joseph:
Are you sure you don’t mean the Gemorah BK 83A? The gemorah of 15B (Rebbe Nossan) is dealing with a Kelev Ra (which is inherent danger, similar to a bad ladder (the other case in the gemorah there). I don’t think a Chihuahua counts (min Hastam) (but I’m not a posek, of course)
Dovid Hamelech had dogs but kept them in a kennel.
A dog is not muktza to its owner.
havesomeseichel-I agree with you, a chimpanzee does not belong in a home as a domesticated pet. The native habitat is the African Jungle, to place a Chimp as a pet in a Stamford Conn. home is not wise as we unfortunately saw. What a tragic waste for the Chimp, as a Zoo or protected Animal Preserve would have been more suitable. Are there no zoning laws as far as acquiring an unusual animal as a pet?
The woman savagely attacked by the Chimp should hopefully recover.
gavra, I’ll have to double-check. Yasher Koach!
Doesn’t the Baraisa on 80a state that if a Ger inherited dogs, he need not sell them all immediately, but that he can sell them one by one? The Prishah says that the Beraisa discusses a convert, for it is uncommon that a Yisroel would violate the Chachamim’s enactment against dogs, but that if he did, the same applies (his heir need not sell them all immediately). The Baraisa on 83a says that a dog could only be raised near the border of a city? And R’ Eliezer HaGadol says that raising dogs is like raising pigs and teaches that one who does so is cursed.
R Yosef says in Avodah Zarah 22b that an almonah may not keep a dog. The Yam Shel Shlomo 7:45 says that an almonah may not raise a Kelev Kufri, (it is small and doesn’t bark), which is the only kind of kelev anyone can raise. Rambam (Hilchos Nizkei Mamon 5:9)says that the Chachamim forbade to raise dogs because their damage is great and common.
But the Mishneh Halachos (5:296) states that the permissability of raising a dog depends on the time, place and person. If a person is rich, thieves come with intent to kill or be killed – so he can raise one.
Joseph- How do you explain the possibility of having a dog as a pet for many years, and then one day without any warning the dog turning and attacking and biting either you or someone who is a member of the family. Feivel said that there are 4.7 million dog bite victims, so a big Chimp do not we have to be more cautious and on guard with? Is it so easy to procure a license to purchase a Chimp as a pet in a Residence? Are there any reports how the victim is doing?
My daughters are terrified of dogs, though I did not bring them up to be fearful (I love dogs). The bottom line, with any animal is “kabdeihu v’chasdeihu.” They might be the best animals in the world, but they are still animals, and they can get spooked and act uncharacteristically insofar as their normal behavior is concerned. I know someone who recently was knocked off her horse, when the very usually gentle animal was startled, reared up and threw her off. She was badly injured in the fall, and never saw it coming.
yankdownunder – What you, and Feivel, describe is more good reasons not to own a dog.
I believe the legality of the Chimp is unique to that smallish jurisdiction. And even there, because she owned it prior to its being banned, she was grandfathered in to the old law and allowed to continue maintaining it. Owning such a creature is illegal in the vast vast majority of jurisdictions in the U.S.
I _think_ the victim has stabilized, but is still in very serious condition.
I am not afraid of dogs per se, but I am cautious around strange dogs (my SIL has a maltese who is adorable and friendly. I’m not wary of her). Here are two stories of why I am wary:
1) This happened a long time ago in Monsey. There were four women walking on West Maple Ave down a stretch that has a farm and thats it. The owner had a vicious dog that was chained up. It was really a scary dog that growled and barked as everyone passed. The owner is an anti-semite who I think enjoyed seeing Jews walk by on Shabbos, terrified of the dog. So anyway, these four women were walking and the dog somehow got loose. They froze, petrified, as the dog was running towards them to attack. One of the women had the sense to say the pasuk against dogs and as the dog was running across the street, a car hit the dog and killed it. Keep in mind, this is a fairly quiet street on Shabbos and not many cars come. It was a pure chesed of Hashem that they survived.
2) My coworkers daughter has a big pit bull from the pound. Her brother came over to visit with his dog (I think a lab). As he enters the house, the pit bull sees a tall, threating looking man and lunged at him. He tore the guy’s lip/mouth and he had to have over 100 stitches. Turned out the pit bull was abused by its former owners, who were tall imposing men. He saw this poor, Tall guy and attacked within seconds.
I walk near dogs. I dont cross the street. My mother is afraid, but taught us just to walk on by. I have a sister who is terrified and will move to another continent to avoid a dog. I feel bad for her because she cannot function normally near a dog.
Animals re animals no matter how trained they are. I know someone who got biten by a very well trained dog that used to play with every one.
I saw an short interview with the chimp owner on the news yesterday. She’s out of her mind. They asked her how she felt about all this and she started defending the chimp, saying that he’s really not aggressive and it was an accident. ACCIDENT?? She kept calling the stupid animal “her baby” and she actually compared it to a child saying that some people have children who they love, and she had her chimpanzee. She’s really psychotic.
She also said that she has no regrets and even if she know it would have happened she would not have done anything differently.
Nutty, no?
I can (try to) understand her first comments about loving the chimp. Try to compare it to someone getting attached to any pet.
But the part that she has no regrets?!?! Now that earns her a psych disorder.
moish: wow that’s nuts!!!
I heard the recording of the 911 call… If that’s not enough to give you nightmares I don’t know what will..
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