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The Connecticut woman who was viciously mauled by her friend's 200-pound chimp underwent surgery yesterday. The family of Charla Nash thanked people for their support, noting that she made "some good, but small progress." Her twin brother Mike Nash said, "It should be known that people who were complete strangers to us prior to this have selflessly offered their assistance to our family, and we are eternally grateful."
However, Nash's injuries are very severe: According to the Stamford Advocate, her injuries required "four teams of surgeons, including specialists in hand surgery, plastic surgery, orthopedic ophthalmology, trauma and anesthesia." The Daily News reports that, per paramedics, "Nash, 55, lost her nose, eyes and jaw as the crazed simian ate her alive in the driveway" of Sondra Herold.
Herold tried to stop her chimp Travis's attack on Nash by stabbing him and hitting him with a shovel, but ultimately called 911 and asked that police shoot him, which they eventually did. The Post details Herold's close relationship with Travis: "She fed him filet mignon and lobster tails. They shared cozy glasses of wine. They bathed and slept together. He tenderly brushed her hair. She gave him gifts and sweet kisses. He drew her pictures." Friends say that the deaths of her only child and husband brought her closer to Travis. NYU clinical psychiatry professor Howard Welsh opined, "This woman was depriving this animal of a whole world. She made this world for the chimp simply her. He was a chimp in a gilded cage."
Herold is bereft—upset about her friend's injuries and her pet's death. She told WCBS 2, "I'm like hollow now. I have nothing left... It's a tragedy on both parts, for my friend and for him." Authorities are investigating the attack; an animal control officer says she had concerns about Travis after a 2003 incident where he disrupted traffic.
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Wow, what a loon.
Crazy cat ladies only make their neighborhoods smell like shit, and only the owner is liable to get eaten if not discovered soon after death.
I feel awful for Nash. She'll wish she hadn't survived this.
The DN article reports he had Lymes' Disease, which can cause CNS symptoms.
I feel awful for Nash. She'll wish she hadn't survived this.
My thoughts exactly. Damn shame... =\
This is honestly the first story in years that makes me feel sick to my stomach. I can't deal with it.
I just wish the authorities would charge this woman with involuntary manslaughter and save us all sound bytes.
lesson learned: ugly women need companionship too.
You could have had it worse Mrs. Herold. You could have had your eyes, tongue, mouth, nose and both hands slowly eaten by a chimpanzee instead of just losing your chimp lover. Did anyone see Planet Earth? there was this part when one chimp tribe took over another tribe's tree and attacked them and ate the other's children! and they were the same species! In some ways It really shows that we were descended by apes and it reflects in society.
The Tuesday night Nightline segment showed footage of male chimps fighting and then one dismembering the other. So I don't quite understand the people (especially the "experts") who say they don't know why the chimp went wild.
Jen, what do you mean you don't know why people say they don't know why the chimp went wild? If you were smart you realize people say that about humans too.
Do you not say "I don't know what made him go kill all those people"?
Yes, you do.
So shutup and think before you speak, you animal.
well so it looks like the chimp's spirit has been summoned by sweetpanties. well done!
That chimp didn't go crazy, that chimp went chimp!
"..animal control officer...had concerns..." Of course she did BECAUSE SOME OLD LADY WAS KEEPING A 200LB CHIMP AS A GODDAMN PET.
it wouldn't be 200lbs if the soda tax gets passed
"They shared cozy glasses of wine. They bathed and slept together. He tenderly brushed her hair. She gave him gifts and sweet kisses."
If there's a silver lining here it's that this terrible incident occurred before Herold and "Travis" could make it to the fertility clinic.
Monkey Octuplets! Yay!!
Good effing grief, that thing is HUGE. I mean, really! 200 pounds! What?? This is totally mind-boggling.
It's like a crazy cat lady x200. Man this story is hard to read.
Red hot monkey love!
chimps are extremely intelligent and need to me mentally stimulated just as much as we do. getting cooped up in a house with that woman would drive anyone crazy. Oh, isn't it kind of odd that she is giving the chimp wine and xanax? what other drugs was the chimp was given? I'm just extremely sad about this. also, to say that the chimp just went wild without any reason should be discredited. something made him act that way. i think i read some other article which called all animals walking time bombs. sensationalist f8cks.
NannyState--you always crack me up.
Reading about how close this lady was with her chimp gives me the creeps.
NannyState totally spot on. Unfortunately the only person/animal to 100% survive this is the psycho who's responsible for all the harm caused.
All chimp lady keeps doing is mourning her loss and talking about how she's got no one left, yet she totally marginalizes her friend who would be better off dead while also not relating to the fact that Nash has a real, human family that has to suffer through this, as opposed to the wild animal family that she thinks is normal.
This lady makes me sick and they should lock her up in her own gilded cage for the rest of eternity.
Sweetpanties, I think you're mostly joking, but Jen Chung is so not deserving of that treatment, she rocks.
This woman is batshit crazy and needs to be charged with something. The chimp was her responsibility and attacked that poor woman.
Part of me thinks the victim will be better off if she dies. Her injuries are horrific.
Something tells me peanut butter was used in this household in ways that it should never be used.
This woman should be arrested. I know its a "free" country, but harboring animals when you aren't trained to care for them is dangerous.
When will we start charging these yahoos?!
obviously not enough p-nut butter rocknrope
There is such a huge creep factor with this story, and thanks to nannystate,(who is my fave, by the way) i've now got an image to go with it.
Anybody remember the Movie "Johnny Got His Gun"?
Why when somebody suffer such horrifying injuries do the Doctors try everything they can to keep them alive? Like people so horribly disfigured by fire or the man that was also half eaten alive (all ten fingers, cheeks, nose, mouth, penis and testicles)by another chimp that they would be better off dead. The Doctor's oath is first to do no harm, it does not mean to try everything mo matter what suffering and low quality of life the victim will have to endure.
It's like the movie, they saved poor Johny just to practice and improve their surgical procedures.
A wild animal acts wild and people wonder why. As the children like to say....duh!
A better question would be why the chimp didn't exhibit his normal instincts sooner.
The owner should be charged with animal cruelty. A chimp is a wild animal and should be in its natural habitat with other chimps. It is cruel to keep a chimp as a pet. It is even more cruel to give a chimp wine and xanax. This is a case of animal cruelty. The owner is responsible for the death of the chimp, and should be criminally prosecuted for animal cruelty.