Owner Of Chimp Who Mauled CT Woman Dies

Sondra Herold, the Connecticut woman whose beloved 200-pound chimp Travis severely mauled her friend, died last night of an aortic aneurysm. Her lawyer said, "Ms. Herold had suffered a series of heartbreaking losses over the last several years, beginning with the death of her only child, then her husband, then her beloved chimp Travis, as well as the tragic maiming of friend and employee Charla Nash. In the end, her heart, which had been broken so many times before, could take no more."

Stamford resident Herold had treated Travis like a member of the family, feeding him filet mignon and lobster tails and letting him sleep in bed with her. But one day last year, he seemed to be out of sorts and she called Nash for help. Travis ended up ripping off Nash's hands, nose, lips and eyelids and was stopped when a police officer shot him.

Nash's family sued Herold for $50 million last year, and Herold's defense was that since Nash was an employee and Travis was part of the business, Nash's claim would be considered worker's comp. Herold did not face criminal charges for the mauling. Her lawyer Robert Golger said he expected Nash's lawsuit to continue,"The stress of defending a multimillion-dollar lawsuit and all that it entailed also weighed heavy on Sandy. She hated living alone in a house where she faced constant reminders of the vibrant and happy life she once led with her family and friends."

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By Jen Chung in News on May 25, 2010 3:44 PM

Comments [rss]

youngpro

that chimp was quite the fat ass. look at 'em!

just saying

Well, she wasn't feeding him monkey pellets.

ozik

It was actually the chimp's pit bull that did it.

WorksInDUMBO

You guys are mean. Sure, this woman made a mistake. But she died heartbroken and alone. This entire story is a tragedy.

just saying

I hope this poor mutilated woman wins her case because she will never again have any semblance of a normal life. Did Nash ever bother to apply for the CT state permit that's required to keep a chimp? I thought she hadn't. Many states (including California) make it outright illegal to keep chimps.

Regardless of how close chimps may be to us on the evolutionary scale, they are still wild animals and should not be kept as pets. Chimps have large dagger-like canine teeth as well as a special jaw set up to allow their teeth to rip into flesh. And since Travis weighed 200 lbs., that meant he'd be especially dangerous and difficult to restrain if he ever went out of control.

Politburo

She had owned the chimp since before there was a permit requirement.

just saying

Yes, but the law wasn't grandfathered in. Herold never obtained the required permit and the State of Connecticut was apparently lax in enforcing the law.

There was a incident prior to the mauling where Travis went after some young guy who threw something at him. The Stamford police were called but never pursued the matter further because they believed this was an isolated incident and that Travis was a tame animal. So the cops were well aware Herold was keeping a 200 lb. chimp and presumably they were also aware that she didn't have a valid permit to do so.

And, yes, Nash is also suing the State of Connecticut for negligence (as she should).

Whammo

Maybe the chimp just arranged for her death to appear natural...

ibexclusive

I cant believe this dum bitch was drinking Wine with a Monkey! LoL. Stupid bitch! LoL... She gave the Monkey Zanex too right? What a unbelievably stupid bitch....

leepresson

Emotional anguich doesn't cause an aortic aneurysm (but it's a nice thought).

kafkask

She was totally fucking that chimp. We all know it.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

This is why we need legislation that prohibits the sale of any wild animals including ringling brothers that abuses elephants.

youngpro

you are absolutely the most ridiculous commenter in the history of blogs worldwide.

Guest

Agreed. It's almost as if he isn't real. That he makes these comments to see just how stupid he can be and just how much he can get sane people riled up.

youngpro

and to drive up his post count in the 'top users' section.

jaycjay

"the sale of any wild animals including ringling brothers"

Huh? I can never make sense of your posts. The Ringling brothers are wild animals?

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

elephants are wild animals and they don't belong in circuses. There have been incidents of them killing their trainers who abused them.