Pet chimpanzee mauls woman, is killed by cops.

[Aragorn]

AP story

Pet chimpanzee shot, killed by police officer after it attacks woman in Connecticut home

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A 200-pound pet chimpanzee once seen in TV commercials mauled a woman visiting its owner Monday and cornered a police officer in his cruiser before he shot and killed it, authorities said.

Stamford police Capt. Richard Conklin said the injured woman was hospitalized late Monday in "very serious" condition at Stamford Hospital; her identity was not immediately released. Conklin said she suffered "a tremendous loss of blood" from serious facial injuries.

The 15-year-old chimpanzee's owner and two officers also were hurt, though police said the extent of their injuries was not immediately known.

Police said they had no idea why the chimpanzee, named Travis, attacked the woman as she got out of her car to visit the animal's owner, Sandra Herold. Conklin said Herold wrestled with the animal, then ran inside to call 911.

"She retrieved a large butcher knife and stabbed her longtime pet numerous times in an effort to save her friend, who was really being brutally attacked," Conklin said.

Travis ran away and started roaming on Herold's property as police arrived. Officers set up security so medics could reach the critically injured woman lying on the ground, Conklin said.

As the woman was treated, the chimpanzee went after several of the officers, who retreated into their cars, Conklin said. Travis opened the door to one cruiser and started to get in, trapping an officer who then shot the chimpanzee several times, Conklin said.

The wounded chimpanzee fled. Conklin said police followed the trail of his blood down the driveway, into the open door of the home, through the house and to his living quarters, where he had retreated and died of his wounds.

.....

Conklin said the chimp has been ill from Lyme disease, "so maybe from the medications he was out of sorts. We really don't know."

Police have dealt with the animal in the past, including an incident in 2003 when he escaped from his owners' vehicle in downtown Stamford for two hours. Officers used cookies, macadamia treats and ice cream in an attempt to lure him, but subdued him only after he became too tired to resist.

.....

 

[Rii]

"She retrieved a large butcher knife and stabbed her longtime pet numerous times in an effort to save her friend, who was really being brutally attacked," Conklin said.

I think this part is more unusual than the fact that it was a chimpanzee.

 

[Dream]

How do we know the woman wasn't trying to steal the chimpanzee's wallet?

 

[RJDiogenes]

Chimpanzees are dangerous animals; this is far from the first time a domesticated chimp has attacked and seriously injured a person.

This is a sad story, though. Aside from the obvious tragedy of the victim, it's sad to think of someone being forced to attack her pet to save her friend, and of the poor animal crawling back to his house to die.

 

[Kelso]

Damn dirty apes...


(someone had to do it!)

 

[Marc]

Damn dirty apes...


(someone had to do it!)

Good thing it wasn't an Orangutan otherwise the police would be really confused.

 

[Sean Aaron]

It should be remembered that any pet is an animal and it's not possible to know what may set them off. Even a beloved lifelong family dog should never be left unattended with very small children for this reason. A chimpanzee is a lot stronger than a human being; I cannot understand why they're allowed to be kept as pets...

 

[Pingfah]

Are pet owners legally responsible for things like this? If not they should be. This is a 200 pound beast, there is always a chance something like this might happen, regardless of the previous behaviour of the animal.

The blame for the woman's life being ruined and the poor chimp being violently killed rests entirely with the owner IMO.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

The chimp was on some kind of weird medication. The poor thing wasn't in it's usual state of mind. Poor thing used it's last remaining energy to crawl back to it's living quarters to die, poor thing.

 

[Deckerd]

You're anthropomorphizing TS.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

You're anthropomorphizing TS.

Well they are a close relative to Humans, as far as i'm concerned just because they can't speak and still maintain a level of aggressive instinct doesn't mean they can't feel the same way that we do and have the same emotions.

 

[Captain X]

Are pet owners legally responsible for things like this? If not they should be. This is a 200 pound beast, there is always a chance something like this might happen, regardless of the previous behaviour of the animal.

The blame for the woman's life being ruined and the poor chimp being violently killed rests entirely with the owner IMO.

Yup, animal owners are legally responsible if their animals go out of control, whether it's a rancher whose cow got out from the pasture and totaled someone's car when it ran across the road, or a dog that attacks someone. Not all that long ago some pit bull owners were charged as being responsible for the death of a women it attacked after getting out from its confinement. Depending on the people involved, this woman might end up in court over this incident.

 

[scottydog]

I certainly agree that pet owners should be legally responsible if they own dangerous animals that harm others -- but why should owning a dangerous animal be legal in the first place?

 

[PluckyNinja]

from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropomorphic

"humans have more recently been identified as having an equivalent opposite propensity to deny common traits with other species—most particularly apes—as part of a feeling that humans are unique and special. This tendency has been referred to as Anthropodenial by primatologist Frans de Waal."

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

You're anthropomorphizing TS.

Well they are a close relative to Humans, as far as i'm concerned just because they can't speak and still maintain a level of aggressive instinct doesn't mean they can't feel the same way that we do and have the same emotions.

And with a higher mammal like the members of the primate family, there IS more intelligence there than most pets you'd typically be dealing with--probably like dealing with a human toddler.

But just like with a child that small (who would be too young to control him/herself), the fault for this would rest squarely on the "parents," for whatever they did that traumatized this animal and led to this incident.

 

[auntiehill]

Situations like this are exactly why people should not keep wild animals as pets. They are not meant to be pets, and people have the nerve to act surprised when they turn into--gasp--wild animals.

If you really want a pet, there are lots of domesticated animals who need a home.

 

[Alpha Romeo]

Are pet owners legally responsible for things like this? If not they should be. This is a 200 pound beast, there is always a chance something like this might happen, regardless of the previous behaviour of the animal.

The blame for the woman's life being ruined and the poor chimp being violently killed rests entirely with the owner IMO.

Yes they are. A wild animal attack creates a per se liability situation.

 

[Mallory]

This was an unfortunate thing to have happen for everyone concerned. The owner is probably traumatized from having to stab her pet, the visitor is in the hospital, the cop who had to shoot the chimp coming into his car will probably have nightmares for weeks and of course the chimp is dead. No winners here anywhere.

 

[anti-matter]

A 200lb pet chimp is a accident waiting to happen...those people are totally insane.

Back in the Nam our boats gunner had a small monkey that was real friendly till you made eye contact. Then it would run and climb all over you and bite your face...all the time making those terrifing screetching monkey noises.

We had signs on the quonset hut's 2 doors......"don't look the monkey in the eye".

Over a couple a 3 months it bit me on the lip, cheek, hand and neck... what a nightmarish terror it was. Probably bit 30 guys before it bit a Korean Officer and had to be dispatched.

Sure did miss that monkey we he was gone though.

 

[Venardhi]

Situations like this are exactly why people should not keep wild animals as pets. They are not meant to be pets, and people have the nerve to act surprised when they turn into--gasp--wild animals.

If you really want a pet, there are lots of domesticated animals who need a home.

All currently domesticated animals are descended from wild ones. While I don't think chimps have any place as pets, there are plenty of wild animals that are prime for domestication.