Chimp Attack Connecticut, From Manolith.
In a frantic 911 call uploaded to Youtube, a Connecticut woman pleads for police to “please hurry” to save a friend from an attack by her pet chimpanzee. When you first hear this, you’ll think its hilarious. But when the woman tells 911 operators the primate had “ripped her face off” it gets ugly real quick. If your like me, your laughter turns to inner anguish as you realize your laughing at the tragedy of another person–a real person who just had 4 teams of surgeons operate on her.
I’ve included the audio from the 911 call. Pretty crazy stuff.
[audio:http://seanpercival.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/chimpattack.mp3]
Chimp Attack Connecticut 911 Phone Call
Photo by Wallyg
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Sean Percival is an internet entrepreneur based in Los Angeles, California.
February 20th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
this is crazy; i guess you never know what might put a chimp over the edge
February 21st, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Is it true that the chimp was having sex with the woman he was living and sleeping with ?
February 22nd, 2009 at 12:44 am
That is sick that anyone can question the owner and the chimps relationship after a poor womens face was torn off. Have a heart LADY. People like that need to seek counseling for lack of care and compassion of another human being!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:21 am
I`d be embarrased to admit that I was as dirty minded as some people are with their assumptions. I`m sure she loved the chimp as her child.I feel terrible for all 3 ,Charla, Travis, and Sandy.It could`nt have been easy stabbing a pet that you loved and then having him shot by cops who will probably brag and laugh about this to anyone who will listen.They can taser a worthless 200 LB. maniac man who has caused nothing but grief all his life, But a loving , sweet chimp who brought happiness most of his life gets shot even after the attack is over.The jerks finally got to use their guns!They are cowards, not heros.
February 23rd, 2009 at 2:48 am
Susan,
To put it mildly, you are an idiot. Chimpanzees are NOT pets. They are wild animals!!!! The woman who owned this chimp should be sued for absolutely everything she has owned, will own, or even dreamed to own because of her utter stupidity. Animal trainers will tell you that they are more cautious around chimpanzees than they are around any other animal, including bears, elephants, and big cats. Chimps can turn at any moment and can attack. Their attacks across Africa are very well documented. This type of attack is nothing unusual. What we really need are laws that do not allow anyone in the public to own any wild animals including big cats, apes/chimps, bears, snakes, and repitiles (to name a few). If you are wondering, I am a naturalist and an environmentalist.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:42 am
The only thing I`m wondering is why you think you have to call someone a name to make your point.You sound like nothing more than a know it all who needs to grow up.Nothing you wrote has anything to do with what I wrote.I never said it`s a good idea to own a wild animal as a pet, But the fact is she raised Travis for 14 years.I never said wild animal attacks were rare.I don`t even feel that it`s fair to keep a wild animal in A zoo.They should all be in their natural environment.You may be a “Naturalist and environmentalist”, But you need to take a class on reading comprehension.
February 24th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Wow Susan. You like to call poliicemen who are potecting themselves and other people “jerks” but you cannot take the heat yourself. I guess your opinion is that the police should have not responded to the call in the first place since the chimp was so “loving” and “sweet”. You are the one who started the name calling. Your assumption that the chimp was “loving” and “sweet” is lunacy. If you actually read what many people in the town said, you would find than many of them were terrified of the chimp and they described him as dangerous. I assert again. The woman who owned this chimp should be sued for everything. She hold ultimate responsibility. I don’t care that she may be 70 years old. Senility is no excuse.
February 24th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
FUCK THE POLICE, fucking retarded motherfuckers, the chimp is biting the bitch’s face off and they are like “whats the emergency, i need u to talk to me”… fucking dumbass cops. They are always there when u don’t need them, but when u actually do need them, they are fucking dumb asses about it.
February 24th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Libby, I did`nt say the police should`nt have responded, I just said I wish they could have tasered or tranquilized him instead of shooting him.After listening to the tape of the police, I see that they did plan to do that, I wish they had.I`ve only seen where in 14 years only 2 people complained about Travis. 2 people are not “Many people”. Some people were “terrified” of him just because he was so big.Granted he was`nt being loving and sweet when he attacked Charla Nash. I think Travis` ‘adoptive mom” should pay all of Charlas medical bills but I guess thats no different than being sued for everything because those bills are gonna be out of this world.But since she was legally allowed to keep Travis I doubt she`ll be held liable.I`m sure her life is basically ruined.I hope Charla gets great medical care and that her life is not ruined too.
February 24th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Susan,
I agree that Charla needs all of our best wishes and I hope that she will be able to recover from this. I believe that Travis’s mom probably can be held liable. If someone owns a dog and that dog attacks people, the owner can be held responsible. What we need are common sense laws regarding “ownership” of wild animals. We need to close down all circuses and road side zoos that exploit animals (lions and tigers were not put on this earth to jump through flaming hoops). You said earlier that you dislikes zoos. I can tolerate zoos that actually do work to ensure that endagered species are not lost to us and our children. I also believe that if an animal cannot be released back into the wild in their natural habitat, that we will continue to need animal sanctuaries where wild animals can live out their lives where people who understand their volatile nature are in charge.
February 25th, 2009 at 1:29 am
Chimps are wild animals. There’s no such thing as a tame chimp, no matter how long it’s lived with humans.
Chimps are predators. The Connecticut attack was not a freak accident. This is how chimps attack adult humans. (See Goodall, Jane.) It was inevitable that a chimp living among humans would eventually attack a human. Chimps can’t be tamed, they can’t be trained not to regard other primates as food.
Chimps are not good or bad, loving or unloving, sweet or not sweet. Those are human traits.
Wild animals can’t be kept as pets.
February 25th, 2009 at 4:01 am
Libby
You and I think pretty much alike, At least when it comes to animals.Sorry we got off to a snippy start. You`re o.k
February 25th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Susan,
Agreed. Sorry about the snippiness.
February 26th, 2009 at 12:49 am
Anonymous, in my opinion needs to better educate their selves before posting such an opinioned view point. The situation stated as proof of the behavior traits of Chimps is not completely accurate. Goodall, herself has even stated that the method in which she feed and observed the primates was a possible reason for the increased aggression seen . Also, to contradict the statement “Chimps are not good or bad, loving or unloving, sweet or not sweet”; there has been numerous studies on the species to suggest otherwise; Observations including those by Goodall. By nature, yes, primates such as chimp are predators. But they also live among caring and understanding family units.
Wild animals, yes, are wild but they are not always just empty minded savage beasts as Anonymous portrays them to be. The chimp and gorilla primates are a good examples of actually how similar to us, Homo sapiens, our primate cousins actually are. The family structures are very similar they have love, compassion, order, and leadership. In some ways there can be more family structure and love in a group of Chimps than ever seen in a human being family.
The tragedy that has happened, is just that a tragedy! My heart goes out to Sandy and Charla. I am sure that they both wish they could handle things differently. I am also sure that Charla understood what Travis could be like. Charla understood that Travis was agitated; she still chose to go over to the house to assist her friend. I believe that neither of them would have ever considered Travis would go to the extent that he did! The fact that it has been stated Charla drove a different vehicle, had a different hair style it is very possible that Travis didn’t even realize who she was.
To say for a minute that Travis didn’t love Sandy, Charla, or understand compassion is a very narrow mind! As humans, we can kill one other over some of the most trivial things and that is not savage behavior. As humans, we slaughter animals and eat them; but when a primate in the wild attacks another primate for hunt they are crazy savage beasts???
I would hope that as humans, we could open our eyes and see the compassion for everyone in this horribly tragic event!!! Not cast judgment, point fingers, or condemn any of the victims. My heart and Prayers go out to Sandy and Charla! I would not ever want to have to deal with the pain, confusion, and anger Sandy must be going through right now. Then to have people attacking her and/or her relationship with a well loved member of her family… Please… Lose your narrow, judgmental minds!
February 26th, 2009 at 2:02 am
I think that everyone needs to stop arguing about this subject. People need to pray for the women that was so badly injured in the attack. Not attacking other people in the meantime.
February 26th, 2009 at 2:44 am
I don’t have a direct response to any one message in particular. I do want to reiderate the fact that this is a “wild” animal. In my opinion, chimps have no business being held in captivity as pets, or proccured and displayed as exhibits. Also, if i might ask, to the one lady who said they should’ve tased him instead of shot him. What do you suggest they do with him after? They can’t put him back into the wild, and he definetly can’t go back into domestication either. And for the other “pet lovers” i’m sure you would’nt have been so diplomatic about shooting an agitated 200 pound chimp that’s cornered you inside of a car.
February 26th, 2009 at 5:11 am
Jordan
I really had`nt thought about what what they could have done with Travis if they had tased him,They were talking about tasing or tranquilizing him on the police calls, But it`s a good question, I guess a zoo is`nt the worse thing that can happen to an animal if it`s either that or shoot him.Plus he would`nt have been as confined in a zoo as he was living with Sandra.And as much as I love animals, I honestly can`t say what I would do if a 200 pound chimp had me cornered.The whole situation is just so horrible, I guess no one really knows what they would actually do , Like everyone else I just wish it had`nt happened.
February 26th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
I guess they must have done it “animal style”
February 28th, 2009 at 12:01 am
i agree with chris—–the dumbass police… its always the dumbass police
February 28th, 2009 at 12:55 am
i agreee with chris….its a shame that a person has to be mauled or killed and still the dumbass police say—–IS THIS AN EMERGENCY?? my gawd how pathetic
March 6th, 2009 at 5:58 am
The owner was a freak. She slept with the goddamned thing. She said so herself.
March 6th, 2009 at 5:59 am
What woman sleeps with her adult “son”?
March 10th, 2009 at 3:59 am
Chimps can be tamed like any kind of animal including humans and like humans, dogs, cats etc they are preditors.
The issue is an incompetent person was allowed to keep a chimp. She then gave it drugs known to likely cause abhorrent behavious by people with experience.
If you give a mug a loaded gun who can cry foul when it goes off?
March 11th, 2009 at 12:10 am
This was a loving chimp in that community, at one time this chimp was in TV during the good times it was a good thing,not any more the chimp went crazy.the police did not give this chimp a chance,they shoot to kill, was this there duty, at the time they got there the chimp was not attacking the lady the chimp wanted to attack one of the police officers, there were no need to kill the chimp,the damage was all ready done. In thompson CT. A crazy shoots at two humans as they were running in a public RD ,sets a fire them saids to police that they set the fire to cover his own tracks,the two humans that got shoot are Puerto Ricans , The crazy was not arrested or charge for the crimes.this case is under the rug,the police are in favor of the crazy man because he was shooting Puerto Ricans ,Whats wrong in CT
March 11th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
For all the people who claim the police used excessive force, how about this: You drive up to a residence in which you witness a crazed 200lb chimpanzee shredding and eating the hands, eyelids, lips, nose, and bony midsection of living human. You try to rescue the victim when the chimp decides you are next. He corners you inside your vehicle, canines bared, covered in human flesh and blood. You have a tazer and a side arm. Which do you instinctively reach for first? If it were me, I would have shot him dead. The species has no bearing on my perspective. I’d put a human down in the same situation.
Don’t be so quick to rag about the 911 operator. They probably get 10 crank calls for every one real emergency. Even the author of this blog states when you first hear the call, it comes across as a joke. The sheer disbelief at such a unique situation as you realize this is real, can make a person seem like a callous dope.
It’s easy to point fingers when something this horrific isn’t happening to you. I, too, pray for Ms. Nash. I pray for God to release her soul. Even if she lives, the quality of life with her massive injuries including brain damage, is going to be very poor. This is a tragedy for everyone involved. There is no grounds to sue or charge the owner. If Travis had escaped his habitat and attacked a stranger, then you have a case. Ms. Nash knew the chimp was being problematic, but chose to go to the house anyway. It WAS her choice. This is not to say that some good can come of this situation. It’s time for laws to be made regarding dangerous animals as pets. Like the naturalist, I strongly believe any animal a human cannot reasonably control, should not be allowed as pets. Period.
March 17th, 2009 at 6:17 am
Im a hunter, i also have a pet rattlesnake. I understand what it is like to live with what basically amounts to a weaponized animal and a very dangerous unpredictable animal at that. My question is why was she not prepared for even the possibility of this event? I would have shot the chimp before i had time to call somebody in this case. hell, i would shoot my neighbors or even my own dog should i feel my family or my own life is in danger. What i notice most in these posts is the elitist attitude of naturalists/environmentalists/bleeding hearts. The chimp went, well ape-shit. The owner was complacent and allowed her friend to put into harms way to calm down a WILD animal. I believe at the VERY MINIMUM she should be held responsible for caring for her poor friend for the remainder of her life….although i think she would anyhow.
On a flaming note, i dont agree with libby’s opinion at all “This type of attack is nothing unusual. What we really need are laws that do not allow anyone in the public to own any wild animals including big cats, apes/chimps, bears, snakes, and repitiles (to name a few). If you are wondering, I am a naturalist and an environmentalist.”.
The government is not a babysitter and this is another avenue for natural selection to take its course, should i be bitten and killed by my rattler i probably deserved it, its just too bad it wasnt the owner who took the brunt of the wrath of her own animal.
March 17th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
This is a tragedy for all involved, including the chimp. The chimp is dead, the victim is traumatized for life and the owner of the chimp will be traumatized for life, as well.
Where is the need for blame? The chimps owner could not have known that the chimp would do what he did. She even stabbed and bludgeoned him trying to protect her friend. Can you imagine how horrific that must have been for her? Yet her priority was to protect her friend, even if it meant killing her “pet”.
You can’t blame the chimp. He was, at heart, a wild animal. I feel as sorry for him as I do for the humans involved. It is just a tragedy all around and no one is to blame. I do not know what legal obligations the chimps owner has, but I’m sure that morally she will do all that she can for the victim. So very sad for all involved.
March 18th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Who is to judge the poor owner of the chimp? So what she slept in bed with her chimp.No one has ever had your dog or cat sleep in bed with you?Were any of you having sex with your cat and dog? How dare everyone that comments that the women was sick. She lost her husband and her child and now her pet. Does anyone in this world today have any compassion?P.S all of you need to get a life and stop judging others!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 20th, 2009 at 2:14 am
lets go public with this thompson CT case Police are descriminating on humans just because they are Puerto Ricans this is a real bad thing and in top of that the crazy man my do it in the future this is no joke the crazy man got some bad riffles the one he used on this two Puerto Ricans is a SK-47 russian Riffle is not to late to STOP this crazy man his shooting humans not chimps or animals.. Whats Wrong in CT……
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:55 am
too bad the animal did not attack a PETA asshole.
March 28th, 2009 at 1:26 am
true this incident the public comments have been a lot, the problem is that the damage is all ready done, the chimp is dead, In thompson CT there is a crazy man that shoots at humans, if the authorities from CT don care this crazy man may do it again I hope that some one from the authorities will step in and get some medical help for this crazy shooter before is to late, whats wrong in CT
April 20th, 2009 at 1:13 am
hi
April 20th, 2009 at 1:14 am
???
November 14th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Anyone who is foolish enough to deal with non-domesticated animals in an uncontrolled environment is playing the wrong kind of lottery…owner and victim alike. It is the social responsibility of the owner to recognize the dangers of this interplay, and the personal responsibility of everyone else involved to use good judgement regarding their safety. A law, or lack of prohibition doesn’t make something safe. Where I live there is a ban on certain breeds of dogs. Dogs, at least, are domesticated…and I’ve never heard of a dog that was capable of the intelligent destruction that can be dealt out by an undomesticated primate. Too many times we have heard of these stories, whether it be a bear attacking it’s handler, a white tiger mauling an illusionist, an orca treating a trainer like a seal… If you ignore these repetitive instances…then I guess there is something to Darwin. It’s a tragedy, definately, and without question…but an avoidable one.
November 14th, 2009 at 11:30 am
…two more things…short…
Carrie – Who cares about the value of an animals life to that of a humans?
Get your priorities straight. Would you yell ‘Don’t shoot the dog’
that was mauling your child?
Blak Rawb – You care for a snake. It is not a pet. Travis the chimp was a
pet, and that’s the difference between your cases. I agree
with you in principle, but ‘apples and oranges’…just hope it
doesn’t get out and kill a child…well fed snakes make great
venom. But don’t worry, we all know humans don’t make
mistakes.
November 14th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
After seeing the victim on TV, No dough that this chimp when crazy. the problem is that the State was warm several years before the incident but did nothing about it. The same is happening with this crazy shooter from Thompson CT. He already shot two Humans an made more threads saying that He has plenty more weapons at home, is a shame that just because they know someone that has power-over-the-courts. This crazy shooter is getting away with his criminal actions. In this case is all about Kids in college W.N.E.C. attending student Julia Bentley & Joseph Gionet Jr. The shooter Joseph Gionet. The Prosecutor Bonnie R Bentley. The State does not want to bring out the shooter phone records because those records will show the link between the shooter & those that has power-over-the-courts. Whats wrong in the State of CT.?
November 16th, 2009 at 1:41 am
In response to J. Cooper, I never once said that we need to value the chimps life. I can give a shit less about what happened to that chimp or any other animal that can tear someone up the way Travis did. I was talking about the victim and the chimps owner and how people need to stop judging. So maybe you need to learn to read and comprehend what your reading. You LOSER!!!!!
November 16th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Carrie…
“She lost her husband and her child and now her pet. Does anyone in this world today have any compassion?P.S all of you need to get a life and stop judging others!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
That quote is from you…’and now her pet’ refers to the animal…I comprehend. The rest of the quoted, combined with your little immature name calling shows just how compassionate and non-judgemental you are yourself. I think I’m justified in calling you a name…hypocrit.
Keep the name calling to your schoolground antics. I expect you will respond after you get off the bus and have your peanut butter sandwich…
December 29th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Ms. Bonnie R Bentley shows concern on this chimp attack that almost kill a woman. butt when the crazy man from Thompson CT. shot two humans as they were running down on a public RD., one of the two humans almost lost his right arm surgery had to be done to save this man arm,but he will never be at a full capacity. In this case they were no concern do to the fact that there is a connection between this crazy shooter, & someone that has power over the courts. Prosecutor Bonnie R Bentley, Shooter Joseph S Gionet, Kids at College W.N.E.C. Julia Bentley & Joseph S Gionet Jr Prosecutor & Authorities refuse to get the phone records from the shooter even-so there was a court order what they did was to get the shooter phone records butt from the wrong year they give falls evidence in order to cover there dirty work. just like with this chimp the State authorities were inform several years back that there was danger with this chimp now the State authorities are very quiet in regards to the fact that they were warn of the danger of this chimp, same goes with this crazy shooter he could shoot at humans again, butt they won do do nothing because of there dirty work from this incident; Whats wrong with the CT. Authorities ????
August 14th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
Great article. There’s a lot of good info here, though I did want to let you know something – I am running Ubuntu with the circulating beta of Firefox, and the layout of your blog is kind of bizarre for me. I can read the articles, but the navigation doesn’t function so great.